Songbird
by ElphabaAngelofMusic
Summary: Charloote Higgins moves to Los Angeles for six months for her break from her first year of university and accepts an offer to film a movie over there. The plan is to move back to England and finish her university course, but what will happen when she meets Robert Pattinson and she starts to fall for him?
1. Preface

**Okay, so I haven't written these sorts of stories in a while, but I'm going to give it a go. I really hope my writing has got better as I have been really trying. Please review as I really liked this story when I was writing it and I need to know where I can improve as I want to get better for university in September. Just a warning...this first chapter is a preview of some of the things to come a little later in the story, so you've been warned. Nevertheless, enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Preface**

_"But even when I stop crying, even when we fall asleep and I'm nestled in his arms, this will leave another scar. No one will see it. No one will know. But it will be there. And eventually all of the scars will have scars, and that's all I'll be-one big scar of a love gone wrong."_  
― **Amanda Grace**, But I Love Him.

I lay as emotionless as possible on the bed, keeping my eyes fixated on the creamy bumps lining the acoustic ceiling of my bedroom, whilst hoping that by not looking at anything in the bedroom in particular as well as staying as still as physically possible, might help in keeping Jamie calm.

He was still sat on my leather pouf chair at the foot of my bed. I could still hear his ragged breaths as he tried to control his temper.

Beneath that was the faint urgent beat of my heart, desperately hoping that that would be the end of it for one night.

I had done everything that he wanted. I had desperately tried to maintain as much distance as possible from Rob. Every time he walked into a room, I would walk out. I couldn't have possibly kept enough space between us, given that he was friends with Tasha and Rachael too and visited the house as often as he did.

I tried so hard to forget the natural spark between us, refused to even say one word to Rob in order to keep Jamie as happy as possible.

I literally couldn't have done anything more and yet, he was still pissed with me.

"Get up," his voice made me jump, due to how quiet it was in the bedroom.

Instantly, my heart sped up even more, whilst my brain desperately tried to work out what he could possibly want from me.

I took a deep breath and began to sit up from the bed, knowing that if I was to take my time then it would probably fuel his temper even more.

My dress was short and as my feet touched the floor, I suddenly wished I had put on a maxi dress, which would cover up how much my legs were shaking from the fear.

I forced myself up from my bed, trying to walk as gracefully as possible-which was difficult on such badly shaking legs-hoping that by walking in a more feminine manner would also help to stop him getting angry.

As soon as I neared where he was sat, his aftershave hit me and I fought not to gag in response, given how strong it was.

His back looked tense but his head was lifted a little and a strange, frightening feeling hit me suddenly.

I was in trouble.

I ignored that troubling feeling and went and stood beside him, keeping my head low as to not upset him.

I saw him glance sidewise at me in the corner of my eye and I instantly froze a little in response, terror gripping me.

"You look beautiful tonight." He insisted sweetly, his voice gentle and loving.

I almost smiled, believing in what he was saying. Finally, a compliment from him, rather than a snide remark…..and then he ruined it.

"A little too beautiful…maybe that's why Rob just can't seem to stay away from you."

His threat was real, cryptic and absolutely terrifying. The worst part was that I knew he meant it too.

A shiver ran down my spine and I instantly stepped backwards slightly, despite knowing that it would only infuriate him even more.

I knew exactly what was going to happen, because this is what happened every night.

And the minute he got up from the chair, I instantly tried desperately to shut down and not think about it; because it was the only way I could get by…

* * *

**So...what did you all think? :)**


	2. New Beginnings

**Okay, I hope I'm doing good. Here's chapter two of the story.**

* * *

**New Beginnings**

_Life sucks and then you die._

I didn't particularly like Jacob Black.

I personally thought he caused most of the problems with Bella, particularly in Eclipse but I rather admired his quotes.

I was a hard-core Edward Cullen fan, but often some of Jacob's quotes made sense. This quote was possibly the wisest thing he has ever said.

I'd begun to think that life really did suck from the very first day you were born to the day you died.

But despite how pessimistic my outlook was, I couldn't help but believe in fate too. I didn't believe in simple coincidences.

Things began to look up after my twenty second birthday, whilst I had a six month breath from university.

My love life wasn't particularly going anywhere, and had been the same since I was twenty years old, but then…my career seemed to be blossoming greatly.

Nearly two years ago, I had been lucky enough to win the role as Christine in Phantom of the Opera for nine months and there was no denying that I enjoyed every single moment of it. I lived, ate and breathed every moment of being on stage and it was in appearing in the West End that it finally made me realise my complete and utter passion for acting.

When I finally got into university, I thought all my dreams had come true.

I enjoyed university too; the first year I had taken part in everything you could think of. I studied Creative Writing with a minor in Drama, and I attended Theatre classes, Swimming classes, Gym classes, Dance classes, and Music classes.

Over the last year, I had learnt so sing a lot better than I used to, as well as learn to play the guitar and the piano very well.

And then I got an offer to star in a movie in Los Angeles, whilst I was on summer break from university.

How could I not say no?

It was somewhere where I had always wanted to go, to visit and it seemed that my dream was finally going to come true.

The producers offered to pay for the flight over and luckily, I had somewhere to live in the meantime, for my six month visit to Los Angeles.

I was planning to come back to Peterborough about three weeks before I started my second year in university, as I had no intention of staying in Los Angeles any longer. I believed that this was an opportunity and would get me more work in the future, when I finished university and needed work.

So I decided to move to LA for six months and go for it, and finally step up my acting career and writing career a little more.

I really wanted to be able to both act and write and I truly believed that living in LA for a few months would bring some good opportunities and get my name out there too.

I had worked hard to get where I had already, and though I didn't have an agent yet, I was still determined to make a name for myself in America. I didn't want to find an agent until I had finished university completely.

I was feeling really apprehensive as I packed my suitcase ready for my flight at Stansted Airport though, because it was one thing being away from my Mum and living at university, but it was a completely different thing to be living in America for six months, in another country to my Mum.

I loved her so much and I would miss her more than anything else in the world.

As she packed the last things in my suitcase, I could tell she was trying not to get upset and I tried not to roll my eyes in response. I found it easier to try and brush off her getting upset, rather than getting myself more upset.

"We'll have to Skype each other now and again, now that you've finally got the hang of it." I joked, laughing as I said it.

My Mum had finally managed to work it out for herself so that she could speak to me more whilst I was at university and I was pleased to know that it wasn't going to be six months completely out of contact with my Mum.

"Yeah, I keep telling you, I will." She insisted adamantly and I knew she meant it. "Now that I know what I'm doing, I'll be alright."

I huffed in response. "Yeah maybe…until you forget what you're doing, and get in a panic as I'm not there." I teased.

"Err….I'll be fine, thank you." She commented sourly, before laughing a little.

She drove me to Stansted herself, even though I knew how to drive, so that we had more time together before I went.

I was sad to leave her as I headed through security at Stansted, but I knew it was for the best for my career and six months wasn't that much of a long time really, when you thought about it. I would see her again soon.

And as soon as I stepped onto the plane, I couldn't hold back my smile of delight in finally making it where I had always wanted to go.

Los Angeles always looked amazing when you saw it in the movies and on television and I wasn't stupid; I realised that life wasn't exactly like that all the time, but I was so excited to be going somewhere new.

I felt as this was a new beginning for me and I couldn't wait to start my new life.

I didn't even care that I was in economy class, because it never bothered me when it came to first class, economy class or whatever.

I felt more at home here than I ever would in first class, despite how uncomfortable the chairs might have been.

I was more than glad that I had chosen to wear something that wasn't too restricted because even in the plane, it was quite hot and I imagined that in LA, it would only get even hotter once I got there.

I had put on a thin, black vest underneath a black floral floaty dress with short sleeves. I paired them with some funky looking, velvet ankle boots.

I liked dressing a little quirkily as that was my style of fashion. I wasn't really one to follow the latest outrageous trends.

I wasn't coming over to Los Angeles for six months in order to try and get famous, nor was I coming over to meet Rob Pattinson. I was coming over for my career, the one thing that meant the most to me.

As far as I was concerned, I would have rather been a low-key author with appreciated books, which inspired people to write themselves and work on stage, then be world-wide famous as an actor or known as a writer who only got famous because one of her books was luckily made into a movie.

My best friend Rachael lived in Los Angeles with her fiancée Blaine, so I had somewhere to live for the next six months. I offered to pay rent a million times, but luckily, Blaine had got lucky enough to get out a few albums, which wasn't exactly well known but were popular, and Rachael had managed to set up her own nursery so they were well off and told me a hundred times that they didn't want me to ever consider paying rent in the next six months, which was very sweet of them indeed.

After eleven hours of sitting on that plane, I was dying to finally be able to get off and see where Rachael lived for myself.

I hadn't been here before but I had heard her house was amazing and it would be so nice to see what she had been up to since moving away from England one whole year ago.

There was always that disgusting smell that lingered slowly on the plane and as soon as we landed, I practically ran off the plane.

As soon as I had stepped off of the plane, I couldn't help but sigh in relief because eleven hours of sitting down in that seat definitely had made my legs go a bit numb.

The heat hit me as soon as I stepped off of the plane, and although it wasn't as hot as somewhere like Greece or whatever, especially as it was only March time, but it was still pretty amazing and so sunny too.

I gave my Mum a quick ring after getting into the airport, just to tell her that I had arrived in Los Angeles safely, so that she wasn't worrying. I then headed over to collect my belongings.

My luggage only took five minutes to come along and I was relieved about that, as it felt so stuffy in the airport.

I grabbed the first taxi parked outside the airport, shoving both of my suitcases and backpack into the boot without properly looking at the driver.

I instructed the driver to go to the street where Rachael lived as I climbed into the back of the taxi and rang Rachael on my mobile to let her know I was safely in Los Angeles.

She answered after the second ring, telling me that she had probably been waiting for me to ring her.

"Hello sweetie!"

I couldn't hold back a grin in response to her voice, because I had missed her so much!

"Hey Rach! I just thought I'd give you a ring as I have just got into LAX. I'm on my way to your house now, if that's okay?"

"Yeah of course it is babes. How was the flight over here?"

"Hmm, pretty long and tiring. But it's nice to be back on the ground again."

"Yeah, I bet, bless you. Well I have a nice chilled glass of wine that has your name written all over it."

I smiled in response, because that was exactly what I wanted to hear. "You know me too well babes. A nice crisp white Pinot Grigio by any chance?"

"Oh of course!"

I laughed heartily in response. "That sounds like heaven then in that case. See you soon!"

"You sure will! Love you honey."

"Love you too babes." I smiled.

Rachael was a little crazy at times but that was exactly why I loved her as a mate as much as I did. She was brilliant, a real laugh, crazy and overall, just a lovely girl.

I really did appreciate her putting me up like this too, given that I had only told her that I was coming over to stay two months ago.

I couldn't wait to see how her and Blaine were getting along over here and how they were as a couple. They had been engaged for nearly four years now and I was wondering when they were actually going to get a move on and get married, because I couldn't wait for the two of them to finally settle down as they always seemed to make each other so happy.

It only took fifteen minutes to get to the outside of Rachael's house, which was perched just outside of the city centre.

The house looked like something you'd expect to see on the Gran Canary islands or in Tunisia. It looked just like a proper holiday home, with a beautiful lawn.

I paid the taxi driver and grabbed my stuff from the back as quickly as I could, desperate to finally see my friends again after such a long time.

I couldn't wait to get a nice long, hot shower too because I felt as though I proper stank and I felt absolutely shattered too, so I couldn't wait to get changed into some comfy pyjamas with a nice glass of pinot Grigio to keep me company.

I struggled with my bags all the way down the tiled flooring and I was almost at the front door until a crazy looking blonde came running out of the front door.

"Rachael!" I screamed, throwing down my stuff instantly and throwing my arms around her as soon as she came running up to me.

She smelt a lot better than what I did right now that was for sure.

She pulled away so that she could grin at me.

She hadn't changed a single bit since I had last seen her; she was still the same titch, with crazy blonde highlights and long, straight hair. She was wearing a nice purple hoodie with jeans and a pair of black converses.

I looked at her confused, unable to believe she wasn't too hot in wearing those clothes.

"You look great!" She insisted sweetly, looking me up and down.

I smiled triumphantly. "Thank you, so do you!"

She waved a hand in the air dismissively and rolled her eyes in response. "Ahh, you flatter me." She joked.

She picked up my two backpacks and helped me inside her house.

The hallway was thin, with wooden floors and creamy painted walls and the hallway looked nicely furnished too.

Blaine offered help as soon as we walked through the door.

He looked the same, with wild dark hair and his clothes has remained the same. He was wearing a plain tee shirt, with jeans and converses.

I thanked him as he began to put my bags upstairs in my room, so that Rachael and I could go straight through to the kitchen to catch up and drink wine.

Her kitchen was at the end of the hallway and was just as spacious as the hallway.

There were grey, marble tiles that matched the counter tops in the kitchen. To the right was a small dining table, and to the left was a small kitchen area. Opposite the door to the kitchen was a large door which slid open, giving a great view to the back garden and the massive pool.

I grinned triumphantly as I looked outside, not able to believe that Rachael had managed to buy such an amazing home.

"I've got some news for you." Rachael's voice caught my attention and I turned to look at her a little hesitantly, wondering what this news might entail. Luckily, she had a huge smile on her face and I was relieved to see that it must have been good news.

"I'd love to hear it." I insisted with a sweet smile, watching her curiously as I walked over to the kitchen area.

She looked as though she could hardly keep her feet on the ground because she was so excited, which only made me more curious as to what this news could be.

Finally, after pursing her lips several times over and tip-toing on each foot, she finally started talking.

"Okay…" she agreed, trailing off teasingly as she pursed her lips together for a long while and making me click my tongue in frustration.

I was never very good with trying to be patient, especially when it came down to revealing exciting news.

She walked forwards so she was standing close to me, before putting a hand to the front of her stomach and touching it softly through her top. She grinned at me, spelling it out to me what her news was.

I placed my hand to my mouth, desperately trying to keep in a scream of happiness.

She giggled helplessly in response, before her giggle was turned into a surprise _oomph_, as I flung my arms around her, shoving her to me.

"Oh Rach, I am _so_ happy for you!" I exclaimed sweetly, trying not to cry.

She deserved to be happy because she was so kind and lovely to everyone else and I thought it was about time that she finally got her own slice of happiness.

I sat talking to Rachael and Blaine about Rachael's pregnancy, desperate to hear everything. She was two months pregnant and due to how early into her pregnancy she was, we all agreed that we should keep it secret until at least a couple of months down the line.

I retired to my bedroom early that night, despite Rachael begging me to come out with her that very same night. She might not have been able to drink but that certainly didn't seem to be able to stop her wanting to party.

I was willing to go out tomorrow night with her, but as far as I was concerned, I wanted a nice hot bath and a long rest tonight.

I truly felt exhausted and I realised that it was probably the long flight that had worn me out as much as it had.

The bedroom Hannah had allowed me to stay in was absolutely beautiful.

Blaine had carefully set down my baggage at the side of the room, just beside some porcelain drawers and a cupboard at the side of the room. On the drawers were a vase full with pretty, white Lillie's too.

It wasn't too dark yet as it was only around five at night and as I peered around the room rather nosily, I couldn't help but gasp in response.

Behind the bed, taking the room of as a full wall was a massive window which looked out to Los Angeles city. The blinds were pulled back, allowing me to truly take in the breath-taking sights of the Hollywood hills.

It was then that it finally hit me where I was. Somewhere where I had always wanted to travel to and live on day. I was home.

I stared out of the window for what seemed like forever, just standing around and taking in the amazing sights that stood before me.

After a while though, I realised what I really needed right now was a hot, soothing bath to make me feel more relaxed.

The bedroom was really modern looking but homely at the same time.

I put my clothes into the wardrobe and the drawers before I looked around to take another look at my surroundings.

The bed was on the right side of the room, with purple pillows furnishing the top of the bed and a purple throw furnishing the bottom of the room. The bed looked so comfortable and I felt _so_ ready to jump into bed, as soon as I had had a nice bath.

Grey wooden tiles finished the floor and a purple, star rug lay at the foot of the bed.

There were a couple of porcelain bedside tables on each side of the bed.

The bathroom was just beside the bedroom and despite its small size; it was set out just as beautifully as the bedroom had been.

On the left of the room was a shower, with two glass doors. On the right was a large mirror hung proudly on the wall and there was two modern-looking, square sinks placed beside one another.

The walls were cream, matching the creamy tile flooring. The woodwork was coloured in a lush purple, matching the small, rectangle floor mat.

Beside the far wall was a porcelain, rectangle bath and beside that was the toilet.

As soon as my eyes fell on the bath, I started to run the water, desperate to have a nice hot bath and get ready for bed.

And as soon as I stepped into the bathroom, I breathed a happy sigh of relief.

It was deliciously hot and welcoming and I spent a good twenty minutes soaking in the bath, mostly just keeping my eyes closed and enjoying the beautiful relaxing feeling that overpowered me.

I climbed out of the bath reluctantly after twenty five minutes of being in the bath and wrapped a purple, thick towel around my body.

I searched through the top drawer for my pyjamas. I had sorted them into three different piles. One was my sexy outfits that I wore when I was out to impress a particular someone, one was a pile of super comfy, super warm pyjama tops and bottoms and the other was my comfy but not too warm nightdresses and jumpsuits.

I chose a pink nightdress with three quarter, grey sleeves and tucked myself up in bed.

Practically as soon as my heat hit the pillow, I fell asleep instantly.

-.-.-.-

I literally jumped up from my bed when I woke up in the morning and not because my bed was uncomfortable at all. My bed felt lush but I was so excited when I woke up as I knew exactly where I was.

It really did feel like a new beginning of my life and I couldn't wait to follow up on the offer of filming that I had received back in England.

It seemed that now I was out here in LA, it all seemed far too good to be true.

I was only twenty two and I had not yet had the opportunity to go to university so I didn't have the opportunity of that either.

When it came to writing, it was something that seemed to come to me quite naturally and seemed to be something I just automatically understood, but with acting, I had to work a little harder to get to where I had, and I was more than prepared to continue with that method to get my career onto the right track.

I got a slow shower, taking my time to wash my hair and get ready.

The shower was just as lush as the bath and I was more than relieved to see that Rachael had left out some blueberry shower gel for me to use, as that was the one thing I had forgotten to bring with me.

I had some strawberry shampoo and conditioner and as I stepped out of the shower, I thought I smelt pretty lush.

I headed back into the bedroom with the same towel as the one I used last night wrapped around me and I looked into my wardrobe to see what I could wear today.

I wanted to venture out today and start looking for jobs or more importantly, to hire an agent to give me the right sort of help I needed to get my career properly started.

I had believed at first that I had this sort of thing covered but when I really thought about it, I probably needed all the help I could get. I wasn't exactly good at knowing where my career should be going or what I should be doing to get it there, so an agent was exactly what I needed right now.

I chose a smart cream dress, with a royal blue finish to the bottom of the dress, the top and a thin, belt-like line around the middle of the dress too. It looked smart and sophisticated, which was what I wanted. I paired the dress with a royal blue pair of stiletto-style shoes.

I sprayed L'Oreal's curling spray on my hair and let my hair wave naturally, so that it had a natural neat curl to it, right up to the tips of my hair.

I looked into the mirror and smiled, happy that my hair looked alright for once. It looked neat and sophisticated, which matched the dress I had on perfectly and gave me the look I wanted to try and sort out my career.

I then went downstairs and on hearing chatter coming from the kitchen, I headed for there. I could smell the faint whiff of pancakes and I welcomed it eagerly, my stomach groaning hungrily in response.

I headed into the kitchen, preparing a smile for Rachael and Blaine, only for my smile to quickly dissolve into a surprised frown.

Standing beside Rachael was Tasha Stevenson, our friend who Rachael and I used to go to college with when we were studying Childcare six years ago. Rachael had remained close with Tasha but I hadn't as she never made the effort to be my mate and meet up.

Rachael's face dropped and Tasha looked round nosily, only to roll her eyes in response.

She looked really good today and I could tell she had lost loads of weight since I had last seen her. She looked quite slim now and she was wearing nice clothes too.

She was wearing a baby pink tunic top with a slight plunging neckline and short, flowing sleeves. She was wearing dark red jeans with it and a pair of cream pumps.

She had her hair up, her dark hair tied back into a messy bun, showing off her small floral studs. She was very pretty looking, even more so now what with how much weight she had lost.

Her skin was a shade of olive, without even tanning.

I knew it was immature but I didn't even want to be in the same room with her. As far as I was concerned, she had made her choice not to be friends with me, not the other way round.

I didn't understand why I should make an effort in trying for the millionth time to make peace with her, when she had so many chances before in the past.

"I'm off to find out about my filming schedule, I'll be back later." I said to Rachael, looking directly at her and making it obvious that I wasn't in any mood to attempt polite conversation.

She rolled her eyes in agitation, but I was already out the kitchen door, wanting to leave as quickly as possible.

"Oh come on Charlie, don't be like that!" Rachael's voice quickly called from behind me and i had to force myself to stop.

I realised that this was probably a big thing for Rachael and she probably wanted to make sure that we could be friends and make peace. I realised this was the least I could do for her for putting me up like this.

I turned and frowned unhappily at Rachael as she walked to the doorway of the kitchen, Tasha in tow.

"Look guys, I know you haven't properly spoken for ages, but _please_, this means a lot to me. At least try and get along." Rachael begged desperately, looking between the two of us.

Tasha looked just as unsure of me, which was fair enough; given how long we hadn't spoken to one another.

I wanted to make peace, for our sakes as much as Rachael's sake, as it appeared obvious to me that Tasha had come to live in LA too, making her own career for herself, so she would be here for a while anyway.

But I had one thing to say.

"Look, I don't want to cause an argument." I started, sighing heavily as I realised that that was likely to happen anyway. "But…..back in Peterborough, I made all the effort to meet up with you and you didn't make any effort to meet up with me at all for a long, long while."

Tasha's face instantly turned a little aggravated and she frowned unhappily in response.

"Well no that's not exactly true, is it Charlie?"

"How is it not?"

"Did I always invite you to go clubbing. Err…yes, I did and did you always say no, err…yes, you did. So yes, I did make the effort, so don't even lie."

"Guys!" Rachael exclaimed in annoyance.

"Okay, okay, fine," I insisted, giving in. "Maybe that isn't exactly the truth then Tash, but I never liked going out. Especially not just after I broke up with Steven, it was the last thing I wanted to do."

Tasha shrugged her shoulders in response. "Well you should have arranged something then, shouldn't you?" She snapped back.

I huffed in response.

"I did! I arranged to go and see Breaking Dawn with you as I thought that would be nice, given that it was the last film of the series and we all loved Twilight."

"Yeah…..and I said I would go with you."

"_Yes_, but I arranged it and then you said yes, and then a few days later, you text me saying you could only go Saturday night. You didn't even bother to try and tell me what showing you were going to so we could go together, so I just thought do you know what…I'm not arranging anything again if you can't be bothered to even arrange it with me."

"Well that's just silly. I told you I was going Saturday to see if you could go too-"

"Look guys…." Rachael finally interjected, desperate for us to both make peace with one another before an argument broke out.

She sighed heavily, pressing two fingers to the sides of her nose and taking a deep breathe to calm herself down.

Blaine watched in the background, stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking unsure of what to really do to help Rachael and sort this problem between me and Tasha out.

"The thing is this argument happened nearly two years ago. I think it's so pathetic to let it ruin our friendship. Okay, so we've all been through some tough times, but we're here now, right?" Rachael suggested, smiling at both of us. "Surely that's the main thing; we've actually managed to get to the one place we've always wanted to live."

I realised that Rachael was right.

There was no point in being bitter about something that happened two years ago. Life was far too short to hold grudges with people, especially over something as trivial as this.

We had finally done what we always wanted, what we had set out to do six years ago, both of us too naïve to ever believe it wasn't likely to happen.

But yet, here we were.

Tasha and I smiled at one another, a smile that we always shared after having a stupid argument that we desperately tried to fight. As soon as she started laughing, I laughed too, realising how stupid this argument was.

"Rachael's right," I insisted after we had both finally stopped laughing. "It was a silly argument that happened ages ago. We shouldn't hold onto stupid, lifelong grudges."

Tasha nodded. "It's nice seeing you again, although I know I could have quite easily made arranges to meet up with you a little more. I think we both could really."

I nodded, completely in agreement. "Yeah, I definitely agree. Mistakes were made but as far as I'm concerned that is in the past."

"Same honey," Tasha agreed, watching me with the same hesitance.

Finally, she grinned and stepped forwards, pressing her arms around me and hugging me. I hugged her back, more relieved than ever that we had actually been able to sort this out because I knew that this was a weight off of everyone's shoulders.

"I have to say babes, you're looking amazing!" I exclaimed happily, as soon as I stepped away from Tasha.

She grinned in response, delighted by my compliment. "Thanks babes, you're looking pretty hot yourself!"

I laughed in response. "That's what I was hoping for. If I was to ever bump into Robert Pattinson whilst filming, I've got to look as hot as possible." I joked.

She rolled her eyes in response. "God, trust you to say that."

I laughed again in response, knowing that she would say that in response to that.

"I have honestly got to go out and find out when I'm filming though, so I will see you later. We can catch up properly then." I insisted.

Tasha nodded in response. "Yeah definitely, it sounds good babes. With a nice glass of wine too." She added quickly, making us both laugh.

"I'll definitely agree to that!" Rachael added eagerly.

"Right then that's a plan; I'll see you girls later then."

"You will, good luck sweetie." Rachael smiled.

"Yeah good luck babes." Tasha added quickly.

I was quick to leave because I was feeling so nervous about today and about what might come out of today.

As soon as I walked out the house, I couldn't believe how warm it was, especially for March. It was lovely and so sunny that I had to put my Ray Ban sunglasses on.

I was feeling way too nervous to even consider enjoying the sunshine though, especially as I didn't really have a clue on what I was actually doing.

I knew the street where the office was on where I had to go and find out when filming was, so I got into a taxi and directed them to the street instead, rather than just looking around for it for ages.

The office was situated in the middle of town, and was a modern-looking office building with huge glass windows to look into.

The front door was unlocked already so I headed into the doorway, trying to ignore the way my stomach churned in response.

It was really posh looking inside the small office too, with posh marble flooring. There was a reception desk on the right of the small office, which was a gleaming dark wooden colour.

The receptionist sat behind it looked quite snobby and young, but I didn't let that bother me as I headed over to her and told her why I was here for. I showed her my passport like I knew I might to prove who I was, and I was told that it didn't start for another week.

I was glad that it wasn't too much of a long wait although I couldn't wait to get started.

When I got home, the last thing I wanted to hear was that we were going out drinking, but it seemed that Rachael had already made up her mind about that.

I didn't want to be a spoilsport, especially as Tasha was so up for going out too, so I agreed to go out with them all tonight.

* * *

**I shall get chapter three up quickly, as that is where it starts to get good. ;)**


	3. New Friends

**Ready to meet a new face? Maybe a bit of KL? ;)**

* * *

**New Friends**

I was so excited to start working, especially as Tasha was now working alongside Rachael at her Little Star's Day Nursery, and were very busy with work and living their life.

As soon as the next Monday came, I couldn't wait to get started filming. I was playing the role of teenager Elena Starr, a singer studying Musical Theatre in New York city. She was very unlike me in the way that she was eccentric and confident, and she was so determined and enthusiastic on becoming a star, but that was what made me so attracted to the role in the first place.

I loved playing different characters that interested me and she definitely did.

The one thing that scared me the most about the role though was that I had to sing again. I loved singing, which was why I had auditioned for Phantom of the Opera, but the thought of singing in front of people really did frighten me as I was my own worst critic.

As I met up with the other actors on set, I was more than delighted to see that Kellan Lutz had managed to get a role in the movie. He was playing the role of outspoken but talented Daniel Hardy and I was thrilled to be meeting him.

He was just as polite, sweet and funny as I imagined him to be, and the minute I met him, he was cracking jokes about how he could tell I was new in Los Angeles, by how scared I looked. His presence made me feel more comfortable and I was more than happy to be able to introduce him to Tasha, given how much she adored him.

He really seemed very chatty and friendly as he always was in interviews which provided the perfect opportunity to talk to him and get to know him, and also to find out where he liked to go out for a night out, as I wanted to know more about him before I considered introducing him to Tasha.

I'd managed to get him to agree to come round to the house to meet Tasha and I was smart enough to arrange a party at the house to make it more casual. As we were getting on quite well, he had said yes and he looked more than pleased when I told him that my best mate thought he was really hot and was more than interested in meeting him.

I was literally so happy that he had agreed as I felt so delighted in being able to get Tasha to meet Kellan, as it was one of her lifelong dreams.

I knew this would go down well with her.

He agreed to come by the house on Friday, three days after he had agreed to meet her.

Blaine was going out on a boy's night with his mates, which was a shame, as it was only going to be us girls and Kellan, but it didn't matter so much, especially if he brought along a few friends with him.

I had just told them that a certain special guest would be arriving at the house and that we all had to get dressed up for tonight to look our best but I was determined not to tell them who exactly was coming as I wanted it to be a surprise.

They were less than enthusiastic about getting dressed up as they didn't know who was coming but I just about managed to get them to agree.

I understood why they didn't really want to as they both had been at work all day, but it would definitely be worth it.

I didn't bother to get too dressed up myself though, which must have made it obvious to everyone else that the special guest definitely wasn't going to be Robert Pattinson.

I put on a plain grey tee shirt, with a pair of dark jeans and put my hair into a messy bun, and I didn't really bother to put any make-up on either.

After all, it was only Kellan coming round, and I wasn't really sure if he was bringing anyone with him.

Tasha and Rachael on the other hand made a real effort, which was what I wanted to see.

Tasha was wearing a lovely blue, lace dress and heels, with her lovely curly hair down and she was wearing a little bit of make-up, but not too much.

Rachael was wearing a strapless velvet red dress with black heels and she had straightened her hair too.

They both looked at me in surprise as soon as I walked through to the kitchen.

"So much for being dressed up tonight." Tasha pointed out sourly.

"Oh relax, nobody will be looking at me tonight." I promised with a mischievous grin, enjoying the way they eyed me suspiciously, wondering what I could have meant about that comment.

I was relieved when the doorbell rang as I realised that was probably Kellan and it didn't mean I had to lie anymore to them.

I looked up at Tasha as I sipped on my lush glass of Pinot Grigio and smirked.

"You might want to get that," I teased her, making no move to answer it.

She frowned suspiciously at me in response but didn't comment on my strange behaviour as she headed out from the kitchen slowly.

As soon as Tasha was out of the door, Rachael turned to look at me suspiciously and I knew I would have to tell her, given how good Rachael was at getting things out of people.

"Well missus, are you gonna' tell me what you're up to?"

I giggled in response, feeling happy that I had actually managed to bring Kellan Lutz to our door to meet Tasha.

"Let's just say that a special visitor who Tasha's always wanted to meet might be appearing real soon, as in….a minute or so."

Rachael instantly gasped in response, knowing exactly what I had planned.

The next sound we heard was Tasha exclaiming _Oh my god_ in a very loud manner, instantly making Rachael and I laugh out loud in response.

Rachael grinned at me in response, thrilled with my surprise for Tasha.

"You know, she's gonna be in your debt for a very long time for this." She insisted with a sneaky smile, making me giggle in response.

"Well that was what I was hoping." I joked.

"I wouldn't be surprised if her surprise for you is to get Robert Pattinson round the house for our next party!" She insisted with a smug smile.

I couldn't help but instantly smile in response just on hearing his name, trying hard not to blush brightly in response.

"Rach please, don't tease me." I joked playfully, making her laugh in response.

She winked playfully at me. "Well if you do meet him and the two of you disappear for say…..half an hour afterwards, I know what you're up to sweetie and I'll leave you two in peace!"

"Rachael!" I exclaimed in pure shock, disgusted by her filthy mind. "And just to say….it will probably be more like two hours, rather than half an hour. I don't think I'd be able to let him leave." I joked, meaning it just as a joke.

She laughed in response, and I tried desperately not to blush in response to our conversation, though it was really hard not to.

I watched Tasha walk back into the kitchen ahead of Kellan, with a huge grin on her face, making me laugh in response.

He smiled politely at both me and Rachael as he headed through the kitchen door behind us, and he began to introduce himself to Rachael who just snickered in response.

"There's seriously no need sweetie; I know who you are from all the times Tasha has mentioned your name!"

"Rachael, you're such a bad liar!" Tasha insisted, giggling despite herself.

Kellan laughed anyway, not seeming bothered by Rachael's comment, though I have to admit, Tasha wasn't that bad at all.

Tasha stood behind the two of them talking, busily checking him out for a long minute or two and I couldn't help but giggle in response.

"So do you like my surprise guest then, Tash?" I asked cheekily, winking across at her as she finally turned and looked my way.

"More like love babes, I owe you one!" She insisted, grinning at me.

I laughed, remembering my conversation with Rachael from before. "Just remember that one." I teased playfully.

It was nice to have Kellan around the house, as he seemed like a genuinely nice guy and I felt privileged to have met him and worked with him. He was an incredibly hard working actor, and I hadn't really realised that before.

He already seemed to have a lot to talk about with Tasha, as he was sat talking to her most of the night and I was thrilled to see the two of them getting along so well.

When Blaine came home from his night out with the guys, he even sat talking with him for quite a while, talking about work and stuff and it was nice to see them two getting along, given how well Kellan and Tasha seemed to be getting on tonight.

I felt like a proper little matchmaker!

I only had a few glasses of wine because I wasn't really in the drinking sort of mood tonight. But it was still nice to have a few glasses of wine.

I grabbed my last glass of wine and came out to join everyone sat in the garden, enjoying the last of the sunshine as the sun eventually began to set, just before ten at night.

Kellan grinned over at me as soon as I walked out from the kitchen, which instantly made me curious as to what they could have been talking about.

"So Tasha was just telling me about how much you adore Robert Pattinson." Kellan teased, laughing in response, despite trying to hold it back.

I just rolled my eyes, biting down hard on the edge of my bottom lip to try and hold back my embarrassment. I could still feel my cheeks becoming hotter as I blushed in response to that though.

"Well…I would say adore is maybe…a bit over the top, but-"

"She's lying." Rachael cut in, with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes again in response.

"Anyway…I'm not that bad." I tried to shrug it off, embarrassed with Tasha telling him.

I took a seat on a free armchair and took another long sip of my glass of wine as I looked back to Kellan, trying not to get too embarrassed.

He laughed again in response. "Don't be silly, I think it's cute you like him as much as you do."

I shrugged. "Look, don't think I'm some obsessed stalker because I'm really not." I insisted firmly, with an awkward laugh. "I've always been a fan of him and his movies, ever since I first saw him in the Harry Potter movie. I've gone to practically every single premiere of his, watched every single movie of his too-"

"Wow that takes dedication." Kellan interrupted me, making us both laugh in response.

"But yeah, I guess my point is, I just don't want anyone to think that I'm one of those weird fans who stalks him or whatever. I'm just a fan of his movies, I'm not one of those proper over-obsessed fans who chases him and makes him feel really awkward."

Kellan smiled, nodding along. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that. I'll tell him about you when I next see him." He teased, winking at me playfully.

"Oh god!" I exclaimed, putting my hands over my face in embarrassment in response.

That was the last thing I wanted!

"Look, no…please _no_, don't. That's the last thing I would want you to do, but thank you for thinking of me anyway."

Kellan's smile dropped, suddenly serious. "Are you sure, because I mean I promise I wouldn't say anything awful or embarrassing. I'll put in a really good word about you and it will look legit too as we work together. I won't tell him you're a fan either."

"No, no, you're okay."

Both Tasha and Rachael were now looking at me as if I was completely insane.

"Charlie, you can't be serious! You've always wanted to meet Rob." Tasha exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know…I just think it would be really embarrassing to meet him….especially if he didn't even like me." I admitted sheepishly, feeling embarrassed for feeling as self-conscious as I was.

"Shut up Charlie! Nobody could ever not like you!" Tasha insisted adamantly, staring at me in shock.

"Yeah, Rob's not like that." Kellan promised sweetly from beside Tasha. "He's such a sweet guy and he's single at the moment too, so even better." He grinned jokingly.

I shook my head, looking away from all of them.

"No, no, honestly, it's cool," I insisted calmly. "Look, I appreciate you offering to mention me Kellan, but honestly, it's fine. Anyway, you never know I might get to work with him one day." I offered as a weak protest.

Rachael stared at me with her mouth hung open, looking at me as though I'd swapped myself with an alien version of myself.

"Charlie, are you crazy? You've got a chance to meet Rob, when he is openly single, and has just come out of a relationship of like what….six years, which also means that he is probably quite vulnerable too, which means it's the perfect time to pounce on him!"

Kellan laughed in response. "You're too funny Rachael, although I have to admit you've got the right idea."

Rachael grinned in response. "I totally have sweetie; hi 5!" she insisted, hi fiving him from across the table.

Tasha rolled her eyes in response. "Well despite how crazy Rachael's idea might be, she's right, Charlie." Tasha insisted with a smile. "You might never get this opportunity again."

I shrugged. "Look honestly, its fine. I know you all probably think I'm mad, but…I'm just not too sure if I'm even ready to come face to face with someone who I've idolised for years. And yes, I know that sounds really sad but it's still true."

"Charlie, nobody is saying it's sad." Tasha insisted kindly.

"No exactly sweetie, and trust me, if Blaine and I were to ever split up in the future, then Jasper's house would be the first place I visit." Rachael confessed with a grin, before turning to look at an offended Blaine, beside her. "No offence sweetie, because that isn't ever going to happen." She quickly added with a sweet smile and touch of her hand.

She looked back to us then, and whispered behind her hand so that Blaine couldn't see; "I'll just have to make do with my hen night instead."

I laughed in response with everyone else, realising that in reality, Rachael probably wasn't even really joking about that.

I appreciated everyone's help and assistance but a part of me just didn't want to meet Rob yet. I knew it didn't make any sense to anyone else, but it did to me. I felt as though if I was meant to meet my idol himself then it would happen when it was meant to and not when everyone else set me up for it.

I had a good feeling about this year that I just couldn't explain and I felt sure that I would eventually bump into Rob myself.

And that was the last thought I had before I went to sleep that night.

* * *

**I imagine you can guess who's coming now ;)...**


	4. Surprise!

**Okay, so here's chapter four! I really hope if anyone is even reading this that they are enjoying it so far. :)**

* * *

**Surprise!**

The next couple of weeks seemed to go too quickly, but despite that, I loved filming and I tried to make the very most of it.

Filming was being taken place in a residential part of Los Angeles for over three weeks and although it was shattering at times, because of how long the days were, it was definitely worth the hard work.

Before I knew it though, the three weeks were over and I was sort of glad to finally have a break before we had to start promoting the movie.

We wouldn't be doing that until end of May though, so we had another month to relax and chill out.

The girls didn't waste any time at all in insisting that we should use this time as wisely as possibly: by partying.

I finished filming on the Thursday and by the Saturday night, the girls wanted to hold a party at the house again, just like we had done when I introduced Kellan to Tasha.

I felt a bit resistant about that as I wasn't really in the mood to party, at least not straight away, but I knew that Tasha and Kellan were getting on so well at the moment and I didn't want to let Tasha down by saying that I wasn't in the mood to have a party as I knew Kellan would be coming over too.

There was only going to be me, Tasha, Kellan, Rachael and Blaine, and apparently, Kellan had invited Jackson Rathbone round too, as he was in the area so it gave Rachael some eye candy too.

I didn't mind that it wasn't going to be many others coming, because I actually preferred if it was just us lot.

I'd read in a magazine that Rob was over in France for the weekend, filming his new movie, and trying to get over Kristen Stewart at the same time, and I didn't really believed that he would have been invited to the party as he was too busy, and was in Europe anyway.

I'd been told to make an effort and dress up for once though, so I took a long, hot shower, enjoying being able to shave and pamper myself, and started to get ready for tonight.

I put on a black, strapless dress for tonight, with a floral, maxi skirt. It was a little bit short, but I liked that as it showed off my newly-tanned legs.

I matched the dress with a pair of black converses as I didn't really want to wear heels all night, as it would have been uncomfortable.

Rachael gasped loudly when she saw me heading out of my bedroom, making me laugh in response.

"Babes, you look amazing! Those converses really work well with that dress!" She insisted sweetly.

"Err…thanks Rachael. I thought it was only the other day you told me to wear heels though, Rach?" I asked her a little confused.

"Huh…oh well yeah I did, but you always look better when you're wearing more unique but chic things sweetie."

"Erm thanks Rach…I think." I laughed nervously.

"Oh sweetie, it was a compliment, I promise," she insisted sweetly. "Right, now I should get on with your hair."

I glanced at her confused, given that she hadn't even done her own hair for the party yet.

"But Rach, you haven't even done your hair yet and it's nearly half six, the party starts at seven." I reminded her. "And also, I just wanna go downstairs and grab a glass of wine quickly if that's okay?"

Rachael looked panicked for a second before nodding. "Erm yeah actually…that should be fine." She insisted with a smile.

I stared at her in confusion, wondering what was wrong with her, but she ignored me and continued talking.

"But I'll tell you what, you wait in my bedroom, whilst I go and grab you a glass instead so then you can relax before I do your hair. My hair won't take long to do anyway and this party was more of a party for you and Kellan finishing filming." She grinned.

I didn't quite believe Rachael and I knew that something was going on but I forced myself to nod and stay silent, knowing that was the best way really.

Anything that Rachael was planning was best to stay out of.

Rachael's bedroom looked really lovely and everything was really spaced out but compact at the same time.

Her bed was on the right side of the room and was a four piece style bed.

There was a lovely wooden dressing table near the bed and I took a seat there, knowing that that would be the best place for Rachael to do my hair for me.

As soon as she entered the bedroom, she grinned at me in response.

She walked up to me and put down my glass of wine and I instantly took a sip from it, feeling a little nervous tonight. I wasn't very good when it came to parties as I always felt really nervous when it came to parties and meeting new people.

Rachael blow dried it before curling my hair and that ended up taking a while, given how thick my hair actually was but I had to say that she made it look really nice and pretty.

Rachael then did my make-up for me too, and I had to say she was really good at this.

She put some light pink lipstick on my lips to that it wasn't too bright for me and flicked out my eyelashes to make them look really flirty and natural at the same time.

I felt really happy with my makeover and I couldn't thank Rachael enough for making me look nice, which only made her laugh in response.

"Glad you like it sweetie," she smiled pleasantly. "Now, just to do my hair, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind waiting for me whilst I did it?" she asked me hesitantly.

"Yeah, of course I don't mind, Rach." I laughed, feeling a little unsure on why she wanted me to wait for her anyway, given that she never normally asked.

I sat and waited for her on her bed, patiently sipping on my glass of wine which was getting to me more and more with each sip that I drank.

Rachael was taking ages up but I didn't mind as I was getting through my wine, and by the time Rachael finally finished straightening her hair, I was on my fifth glass of wine, which she had kept topping up for me.

"Right, ready to go party?" Rachael grinned at me as she got up from the dressing table.

"Hell yeah!" I grinned, feeling quite a bit tipsy now.

She giggled in response and took me by my hand, and I followed her out of her bedroom happily, feeling all tingly as I walked, because of me being tipsy. I took my glass of wine with me, as it was really nice.

"You're looking hot tonight, Rach babes." I insisted, giggling silly as we climbed down the stairs together.

She really did look nice tonight though. She was wearing a pretty black dress, with a bow at the side, and red heels and her hair looked really nice and long too.

"Aww, thanks babes." She replied happily. "I had to look my best with Jackson being here." She added, making me laugh in response.

"Ahh, well now that's too true." I giggled loudly, making her roll her eyes in response. "Ooh, my perfume!"

It was stood at the bottom of the stairs, on a desktop from where I had put it on this morning. It was Ricci-Ricci by Nine Ricci and I absolutely loved its musky scent.

I sprayed some on my neck and my wrists whilst Rachael stood waiting for me, with a sneaky looking grin on her face.

I eyed her suspiciously but she completely ignored me.

"Right, let's go!" Rachael exclaimed a little too eagerly when I was finished, grabbing my hand and pulling me along.

I clicked my tongue at her in frustration, wondering what the rush was for exactly, but she completely ignored me again.

I followed her into the kitchen, where everyone was stood, gathered around. Everyone seemed to look at me, with a smile on their faces, making me feel a little confused. Normally too, I would mind and would go really embarrassed, but because I was a bit tipsy, I just smiled back in response.

I drank the rest of my mine and Rachael instantly grabbed my empty glass and moved towards the fridge, ready to fill it up for me in a minute.

I stood on my own and now I felt a little awkward in the kitchen as I looked around at everyone in the room.

And then, I caught someone in the corner of my eye.

I turned my face, staring at someone stood in the corner of the kitchen, and as soon as my eyes fell on him, my breath was instantly taken away.

His hair was still that slightly strange, light brown colour, making his skin look a shade lighter then it probably actually was. His hair looked a little messy, as though he had been busily running his hands through the top of it all night and I couldn't help but smile in response.

He looked impossibly good looking, a lot more than when he did in the movies.

His eyes looked a shade of olive green from over here and against his dark hair and pale skin, he looked so hot.

He looked as though he was a few days overdue a shave, but I liked that look, as that too, looked so hot on him.

I could definitely see what everyone was talking about when they kept mentioning that fabulous jaw of his too. It looked as though it just might possibly have been sculptured by the gods themselves and I had to bite down on my bottom lip a little hard to fight a smile, as I continued to stare, drinking him in as much as physically possible whilst I could.

A smile played across his lips, though he tried to fight it.

He was wearing a nice grey striped shirt, with a couple of buttons undone, and a pair of casual jeans on, with a pair of casual blue pumps on to match.

I noticed he was holding a bottle of beer in his hand.

My skin felt a little too hot, telling me that I was obviously flushing badly due to him being here, in the very same room as me.

This was something I could have only ever wished would come true and now it was impossible to believe it was actually real.

My head felt a little woozy and my vision slowly started to blur.

I refused to look away from him though, despite how worried everyone looked, Rob included actually.

"Okay Charlie, you might want to try breathing." I heard Rachael's voice from the distance, but I couldn't take it in properly.

My eyes were still focused on Rob, shock overwhelming me and not allowing me to think properly.

"As in you know…from here." Rachael got in my way of vision, so that I couldn't see Rob anymore, which forced me to look at her.

Rachael pushed her hand to my chest and instantly, I took a big, deep breathe, almost falling over as I did, due to how much I suddenly needed to breathe.

My vision was clear then and I saw Rachael stood in front of me properly, breathing a huge sigh of relief.

"Ahh thank god, you sure know how to scare me, sweetie!" She complained.

I grinned, feeling really embarrassed about not even knowing how to breathe for a moment, especially as Rob was actually here. I mean come on, everyone knew that he was more attracted to girls who were smart, and not ones that didn't even know how to breathe as soon as they saw him.

My knees weakened slightly and I clung nervously to the panel of the door whilst Rachael stared at me with wide, uncertain doe eyes.

"My god, how are you going to cope if he comes over and says hello to you!" She teased, helping me stand up straight.

My cheeks instantly turned a dark shade of red at the very idea of him even just saying hello to me and Rachael fanned me down so that I didn't suddenly faint or something.

Finally, she moved out of the way and as soon as she did, my eyes instantly fell back on Rob, who was still stood at the side of the room. He was trying not to smile as he turned and looked my way, telling me that he had probably seen me almost faint at just the idea of being in the same room with Rob.

"I really don't think I can do this." I confessed as quietly as possible through gritted teeth to Rachael who rolled her eyes in response.

"Oh rubbish! You won't ever get this chance again and then we'll all have to suffer with you whining about what an idiot you were when you didn't go over and speak to Rob Pattinson when you had the chance!" She reminded me sourly and of course she was right, despite how much I didn't want to admit that.

"Is this why you made me pretty?" I whispered sceptically.

She tried not to smile in response, though she soon failed. "Well darling, you wouldn't be thanking me if you met Rob with your hair all over the place and no make-up on."

I had to admit she had me on that; I wouldn't have thanked her for that one single bit.

"Come on!" She finally sighed impatiently, pulling me roughly by my hand and forcing me further into the kitchen with her.

With every step that got me closer to Rob, the more my chest became tighter and tighter, to the point where I truly didn't think I could breathe at all.

_I can do this, I can do this; I can have a simple conversation with Rob_.

I kept repeating loudly in my head, though my hands started to shake nervously as I followed Rachael over hesitantly to where Rob stood.

He was still watching us walk over to him, a smile ghosting his lips…oh that amazingly gorgeous mouth of his…

"Right, sit," Rachael ordered as soon as we got over to him, clearly realising that if she didn't give me a chair to sit in, next to Rob, then I was bound to faint in the next ten seconds.

She literally shoved me into a chair, ignoring how weak my legs were and turned me to look at Rob, and instantly, I was stunned by how gorgeous his eyes were.

They were so deep and intense, and a lovely colour too.

We were now at eye level as the chair was quite high and he looked a little sheepish as he looked back to me.

"So…you must be Charlie then." He presumed correctly, his voice taking on a teasing tone as he joked. His London accent was sweet and his voice sounded like velvet and I involuntarily shivered a little.

The way he said my name was so sweet and so, so hot…

I took a deep breath and tried my hardest to look cool, despite how difficult that was.

I nodded, not quite able to find my voice yet. I was still so sure that I might still faint from shock about the fact that I really was talking to Rob Pattinson. This wasn't just some crazy, insane dream that I was imagining.

He laughed a little in response, clearly amused by me losing my voice. Even his laugh was sweet, shy and musical.

He ran one of his hands through the top of his hair, just like how he always did when he was in magazines or filming movies and I automatically bit my lower lip in response.

I always thought it was so hot when he did that and it was ridiculously hotter when he was just in front of me.

"Yeah, Kellan's been telling me all about you." He confessed, giving Kellan a knowing look and instantly sending my heart racing in response.

What the hell had he told him?!

I heard Kellan's booming laughter from behind me. "I wouldn't worry Charls," he shortened my name. "I've only been telling him the very best bits. For example, like how you stood and waited for twelve hours straight just to see Rob for twenty minutes at the New Moon premiere."

As soon as he said it, I turned and glared furiously at him, warning him to shut up and not say anything more but he simply smirked at me and continued on, knowing there wasn't really anything I could do given how strong he was.

"And how you lost your voice from screaming so much the day after," he added smugly. "Oh and…even how you almost fainted when he signed your Breaking Dawn book at the Breaking Dawn part one premiere-"

"Kellan, stop!" I finally shouted in annoyance, instantly sending him into hysterics.

I glared angrily at him because I realised that he had probably said all that just to get me to talk again.

"You found your voice then!" Kellan teased.

I rolled my eyes and turned away, pretending to be annoyed with him.

I turned and looked at Rob, smiling shyly in response, given that I had just shouted quite loudly at Kellan.

Rob grinned. "To be fair, he didn't tell me any of that until now. He just mentioned you were a writer and an actress and that you moved out here to film a movie. He also mentioned you were on a break from university too."

I nodded in response, feeling a little relieved that he hadn't really told Rob anything too bad. Thank god.

As soon as Rachael put down my glass of wine, I took a very large sip of it and it hit me instantly, which luckily gave me the confidence to finally talk to him,

"Yeah…so it's probably obvious that I'm a bit of a fan now, thanks to Kellan…but I wouldn't say I'm that bad. I know most fans probably say that to you, but I'm not one of those people who you know…well, stalk you, or put videos talking about you on YouTube or whatever." I laughed.

He laughed, running his hand through the tip of his hair again.

"Well that's always good to know." He teased, making me laugh again.

"So…not to sound too big headed here, which it probably will…but you probably know a lot about me, or at least, I'm guessing you do, if you're a fan?" Rob asked curiously.

I couldn't help but laugh in response. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but…yeah, you do." I teased jokingly, making him laugh in response.

I took another large sip of my wine, enjoying teasing with him as I didn't really mean that. It wasn't like I was being rude or anything as we both knew I was just joking.

"But yeah…I guess I do. I read magazines and books and stuff, however…a lot that you read normally isn't true, so…I don't really know if I know a lot or not, to be honest."

A sheepish smile played on his lips in response, and he looked amused.

I bit down a little hard on the edge of my lower lip, trying not to stare as much as I probably was.

It was impossible not to stare at Rob, because he was just far too good looking.

"Well…what made you come out to Los Angeles for six months on a university break? You could have gone anywhere…or was it just to see me?" He teased, making me laugh again in response.

"My…you are big headed," I teased jokingly, making him laugh in response. "No, again…sorry to burst your bubble." I grinned. "Well Rachael lived here and I thought it would be nice to see her again, and I've always wanted to come to Los Angeles too and when I got invited to come and film over here too, I thought it was brilliant. I had six months to myself and I thought that if I didn't take the opportunity then I might never get it again." I explained honestly.

He nodded in response, genuinely looked interested. "I take it you've done acting work before then, given how they just asked you out of the blue."

"Yeah, I…worked in the West End for nine months, in Phantom of the Opera; I was Christine." I explained.

He nodded again, looking impressed. "Wow…so you must be a pretty good singer then, to be offered such an amazing job."

I smiled, but tried to brush it off as much as possible, as I presumed I must have had a talent, but I was always my worst critic when it came to my performance and writing.

"Hmm…I guess so. Well obviously, I must be, to be rewarded with such an amazing role. And obviously, I was lucky enough to be guided by Andrew Lloyd Webber too, which for me…was a complete and utter dream come true as he is pretty amazing, but I've never really sat down and thought about it, you know? I know that sounds really stupid but when I get offered the role, I was more concerned with being as amazing as possible and I didn't really stop to think about it. I was always rehearsing and singing, and making sure everything was perfect."

"But surely…someone must have mentioned you could sing before you got the role?"

I shook my head, taking another sip of my wine. I believed that drinking was helping me talk to Rob and not faint.

"I've never sung properly before, not really. When you sing, you need to stand straight and really exhale your voice, to properly communicate it, but when you're singing along in the car to a song you like, it's a different story." I laughed.

"Sing along in the car?" Rob pointed out, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

My cheeks instantly flared up in response, realising I had pointed out another embarrassing habit of mine.

"Oh dear, I just can't seem to stop admitting embarrassing things."

He laughed in response and I couldn't help but smile a little, due to how cute his laugh was. There were literally no faults about this wonderful man that I could point out, which was positively refreshing in one day but highly annoying in another.

He was just too perfect.

"Don't worry about it; there are plenty of things that are embarrassing about me."

I laughed, as I took another sip of my wine and raised an eyebrow. "Now I'm curious."

He laughed again in embarrassment. "Well now, I can't tell you that," he insisted, running his hand through the top of his hair.

"Oh, well now that isn't really fair, is it?" I pretended to complain. "Given how many embarrassing things I've been letting slip to you…but then again, I think I know at least one of your embarrassing traits, if you didn't mind me pointing out?" I smirked.

Now, he looked curious. "Oh?"

"Well you pull on your hair quite a lot. I've seen you do it a lot in magazines and when you're on television too, and when you're at premieres…" I pointed out correctly.

His cheeks turned a slight pink and I couldn't help but giggle. He looked so cute when he blushed, as he looked so embarrassed.

"Oh yeah…I guess I do that quite a lot…but I guess I can't really give you that, given how often I do it." He smirked, making me roll my eyes in response.

"Well if you won't tell me anything else, I think you _should_ give me that." I insisted, making him laugh in response.

"Fine, fine…I guess." He replied embarrassedly.

I smiled. "Oh don't worry, I think it's cute." I pointed out before I could really think about what I was saying and instantly, my cheeks flushed a bright red in response in realising that I had actually said it out-loud rather than in my head.

"Err…I mean-"

"Do you want any more wine?" Rachael asked, bottle in hand.

I turned to her instantly, smiling. "Hit me," I insisted, making her laugh in response.

Rob looked a little awkward, thanks to me mentioning how I had thought it was cute, so I was desperate to change the subject to get rid of the awkwardness that was hanging over us.

I realised that it had only been around three months since he had broken up from Kristen officially, and I realised that I probably had overstepped the mark a little.

"So anyway…how long have you lived in Los Angeles now?" I asked him curiously, quickly changing the subject onto something more comfortable.

I took another sip of my wine as he pulled on his hair and waited for his reply.

His forehead creased a little as he thought about that one and I couldn't help but think how cute he looked when he was thinking and concentrating.

"Hmm…six years now." He admitted, looking pretty surprised at this.

"Wow…time goes so fast, you don't realise until you really think about it." I huffed in response, amazed by this revelation.

He grinned in response. "Do you reckon you'll be tempted to come and live out here when you've finished your degree?"

"Hmm…maybe, I guess it depends on the company." I teased, making him laugh. "But no seriously…I'm really not sure right now. There are lots of places that I'd like to go to. I want to go to Africa again, because when I first went to Kenya, I didn't really appreciate it. It's an amazing place to go."

"When did you go?" He asked, interested.

"It was for my one of my brother's wedding, when I was…twelve? I think," I admitted. "I was a bridesmaid."

"Oh cool, cool…one of your brothers?" He noted, sounding intrigued. "Have you got a big family then?"

"No…I just have two brothers and one sister. I have quite a few aunties and uncles, but we're not really close. Besides that, I come from quite a small family. I've always wanted a big family though." I confessed sheepishly.

He smiled. "I know what you mean." He insisted.

It felt really strange having Jackson, Blaine and Rob all in the same house at one time, given how much we had all adored them for such a long time.

Rachael and Blaine seemed to be talking a lot to Jackson and I was glad that she'd had this opportunity to meet him. Jackson seemed quite shy but he seemed lovely and I knew Rachael had things in common with him, given that Jackson had had a baby and was now a single Dad, and Rachael was pregnant with her first child too.

Kellan seemed to be making Tasha laugh quite a lot tonight, though I didn't think anyway was happening between them romantically, or at least…not yet anyway.

And as for Rob, well…he was gorgeous!

I sat down next to him on the sofa as we moved into the living room, more because Rachael had practically chucked me next to him on purpose, which I didn't mind one bit.

There was no denying he smelt lush too.

It was a musky, faint scent that really suited him as it wasn't too in your face and I fought the urge to bite down on my lower lip again, despite how tantalising he smelt.

He really didn't help matters either, not when he was _that_ gorgeous either.

Jackson went home early as he was due to be spending time with his son, Monroe tomorrow all weekend.

I could quite easily imagine Jackson as a Dad, despite how I had just met him. He just seemed to have a good, kind vibe about him.

"So have you always wanted to go to university then?" Rob asked me whilst we were sat down on the sofa together.

I nodded. "Yeah…well I'm the first of my family to go to university. Ever since I started college, I wanted to go to university and study and work hard. I wanted to make my family proud and I knew that by going to university, I would. I always wanted to study Creative Writing and Drama too. I never really had the confidence to study Drama before though."

I took another big sip if my glass of wine.

He smirked. "But you have the confidence to do it now, obviously."

"Well I've just finished filming my first film and I really enjoyed that. I really would like to continue with my writing too though."

"Do you think you're a good writer?"

I smirked in response. "Well you'll just have to read one of my stories and find out, won't you?" I teased.

He laughed again in response, and I was more than glad that he didn't mind me teasing too much with him, which was all I was doing.

"Have you written any about me then?" He teased back, grinning.

"Urm…" I trailed off, feeling really awkward and embarrassed now. I could feel my cheeks turning a hot shade of pink in response.

I had written a number of stories about Rob, though not just about him, of course. The girls had been included in my stories too, and the stories were all about us meeting the boys in Los Angeles, and getting our dreams come true. They were all a bit silly, of course, but stories were based on imagination and we all had a lot of imagination and came up with some of the best ideas for our stories together.

He laughed in response, realising for himself that I obviously had written stories about him. "I take that as a yes then…so what kind of stories?"

"Oh you know…just the usual. Every story that I've written about you, has kind of been…about my friends too. We've stuck together through lots, and we normally help each other out with stories about LA and stuff. However…did write a pretty interesting one, though…it is a bit intense." I laughed.

He raised his eyebrows, trying to fight laughter. "Now, I'm interested."

I could feel how red my cheeks were, and I tried desperately hard to fight laughter as I sipped on my wine and told him about this story.

"Well…I write three stories about this same idea, and basically…well, we all met each other in LA, the girls too, and basically we ended up together. I was trying to err…well to learn to write better, I suppose, so I chose to write about different things as some of my other stories were more teen-based, so some of the themes were more…adult, if you know what I mean."

He smiled in response, looking awkward again. "Yeah."

I could tell I had overstepped the mark once again and instantly regretted it. I probably sounded really immature and a bit psychotic what with writing about sexual themes on someone I hadn't even met, but the truth was, I was rubbish about writing things like that, as I had written it before I had been in a relationship with anyone before and didn't really know what I was writing about, so I had wanted to learn to write all sorts of fiction a lot better.

"Anyway…I can write a lot better than I used to now. You just have to explore different themes in order to get better at writing them."

He seemed happier with the conversation change.

"So you're going to be like the new E. L. James then?" He smirked.

"Pfft, don't even get me started on Fifty Shades. I loved the characters but they were so…unrealistic and the way they described the sex and everything was just…well, terrible. It sounded as though it was written by a child, most of the time. It's basically the adult version, terribly written twilight." I joked, making him laugh in response. "Oh and fyi too, I'm a lot better at writing then E. L. James, or whatever her name is."

He laughed again in response. "Well like you said, I guess you'll just have to show me one of your stories one day and prove it." He smirked.

"Yes, I shall." I insisted, grinning back at him.

There was no denying that I was a little disappointed when Kellan finally started to leave, because I knew that Rob would be going too, as Kellan was Rob's ride.

Tasha smiled at me in response as we both got up to go and see them out, knowing why I was disappointed.

"So I'm sure we'll see you guys again soon? I'm sure Charlie would like to see Rob as much as I would like to see Kellan again." Tasha teased, smiling at Kellan as she said it.

I smiled awkwardly, trying to play it cool as we headed out to the hallway to see the two of them out.

"Yeah, well I'll probably be a bit busier with filming and stuff, but we'll definitely sort something out." Kellan insisted and Rob nodded in agreement.

I bit down on my bottom lip to avoid being caught smiling, though I couldn't help but feel a little excited about being able to see Rob again soon.

Kellan and Tasha were too caught up in talking to each other again, so whilst they were, I turned to Rob, still quite tipsy on the white wine.

"So, given how keen Kellan is to come round again…I guess I'll be seeing you around then?" I asked uncertainly, unable to stop myself sounding unsure about that.

Rob nodded, a smile ghosting his lips again.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll be around with this one again." He joked about Kellan, rolling his eyes in response.

We stood awkwardly for a moment, not too sure on how to end things, so instead of making it awkward with a hug or shaking hands or whatever, I smiled politely and stated; "Anyway, it was nice meeting you."

He nodded. "Yeah likewise."

I could tell he meant that and even if I shouldn't have been getting my hopes up, I kind of was. Because I was so excited at the thought of seeing him again; whether it was in a week's time or four weeks' time.

I was just thrilled to actually meet him and being able to spend time with him, especially as the excuse was that he often spent time with Kellan who was keen on spending time with Tasha.

As soon as the guys went, Blaine went up to run Rachael a hot bath, which gave us three girls time to talk about tonight and the excitement of meeting our idols for real.

Rachael was practically jumping up and down compared to Tasha who was simply glowing at having spent so much time with Kellan.

I sat down next to Tasha on the sofa, watching Rachael jump up and down with keen interest, trying not to laugh.

"How _exciting_ was that!" Rachael exclaimed, still jumping a bit, though she kept a careful hand on her slight bump.

"It was brilliant Rach, wasn't it?" Tasha agreed with the same enthusiasm as Rachael, whilst I watched on with a smile on my face.

"Brilliant is even the word. Its lucky Blaine was here, given how fit Jackson looked. My god, I couldn't keep my eyes off him!"

"Rachael!" Tasha giggled.

Rachael rolled her eyes in response. "Well, I'm allowed to look, but not touch, right girlies?" She insisted.

Tasha grinned. "Well yeah, I suppose you're right."

Rachael looked towards me, a mischievous glint in her eyes. I rolled my eyes in response, because I knew that look well enough.

"You, on the other hand are allowed to touch Rob as much as your heart desires." She grinned at me.

I frowned in response, though there was no denying that if I really was allowed to do that then there would be no stopping me.

"Rachael, I think that entails permission to do that."

She rolled her eyes in response to that. "Oh, as if Rob would turn you down. I saw the way he was looking at you." She insisted confidently, though I was certain she was completely wrong about that. "I doubt it will be long for him to start begging you for your touch!"

"Rachael, you have one hell of a filthy mind!" Tasha complained, stating exactly what I was thinking at the very same time and staring at Rachael with a look of disgust and amusement across her features.

"Well darling, I'm just saying out loud what Charlie is probably thinking."

I huffed in response. "Actually, I wasn't thinking that at all. I really don't think Rob likes me at all…not in that way anyway. He's still going through some stuff anyway, so I think a relationship is…the last thing on his mind."

I didn't really know Rob very well either, so that was also something to think about.

"Babes, trust me, Blaine used to look at me like that all the time when he was trying to woo me." She insisted, giggling childishly as she admitted that.

Tasha giggled in response. "So what are you saying? That he doesn't keep trying to woo you now?"

Rachael rolled her eyes.

"Oh trust me darling, the minute a man gets bored, don't expect any more gifts, or flowers, or hot, ravenous sex, because you won't get it!"

"Rachael!" Tasha exclaimed in shock, unable to believe what she was hearing. "I can't believe you!"

"Well it's so true. It's all good at the start but then they get bored."

I rolled my eyes in response, giggling along with Tasha at how naughty Rachael's humour really was.

It was nice that they were so excited about meeting everyone and wanted to talk about it all night, but I kept silent, trying not to get too excited about meeting Rob. Because we were hardly even friends, let alone anything else, and the truth was, I knew we were a lot more likely to stay friends than anything else.

I didn't believe that anything else would happen between us, because I could see for myself how much of a bad place he was in. He was clearly not ready to move on from Kristen and I didn't ever believe that not only could he ever see me in that way, but he couldn't see anyone in that way.

I knew how much he had loved Kristen. It had been obvious to the whole world.

Nevertheless, things seemed to be sliding neatly into place and I was desperate to continue with both my acting career and my writing career as both meant the world to me.

* * *

**Yay! Finally we meet Rob! :D**


	5. Spark

**Here's chapter five! :)**

* * *

**Sapark**

We didn't really see much of the guys over the next few days as they were really busy filming but then Kellan had already admitted that the two of them might be really busy. Jackson was also busy with Monroe too.

I'd heard that Rob had gone to France to finish up filming his new film, because of how many magazines I read.

Now that I had a lot of time off until I had to travel to promote the film, I spent my free time in the day going shopping, taking up swimming again and getting fit again. I would go for a run in the mornings and then go shopping, and go swimming a couple of times in the week, when I had the day to myself.

I helped Rachael out over the weeks, helping her food shop if she had any available time, as she needed more help now, what with her being pregnant.

She was having terrible back aches already, even though she was only three months pregnant so me and Tasha began to do it on our own to make it easier for her.

I didn't mind doing the shopping at all because I liked being able to do my bit to help Rachael, given how grateful I was for putting me up like she had.

As the weekend drew in, I was ready to relax and get sunbathing, as I hadn't done it since I had got to Los Angeles.

I got showered early on Saturday morning and got dressed quickly, wanting to just lie out in the sun and enjoy it. We had the pool to relax by and I was looking forward to lounging on one of our sunbeds.

I put on a black crochet fringed beach vest dress, putting on a matching black halter neck bikini set underneath to match.

The dress was a bit short and showed off my stomach as the black was a little see through, but I didn't think it really mattered as there were just the girls in the house.

I ate some strawberries in the garden, and brought my orange juice with me near the pool afterwards, to sunbathe.

I put on my Ray Ban's and plugged in my headphones and began to listen to California Girls by Katie Perry. This was definitely my anthem for the start of summer.

I was just starting to relax when my earplugs were suddenly pulled out of my ear, making me gasp in shock.

"Hey!" I exclaimed.

Kellan's loud, booming laugh instantly flooded my ears and making me gasp even louder in response.

I instantly took off my Ray Ban's and looked around, ignoring Kellan standing in front of me to see who else he was with.

_Oh god no_!

Why did he have to be with him of all people, seeing me dressed as scantily as I was?

Rob was dressed in a grey, short sleeved shirt and jeans, and the colour of his shirt easily brought back his stunning eyes even more than before. He smiled politely as he saw me and instantly, my heart stammered in response and I could feel my cheeks lighten up with bright pink.

I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to ignore the fact that even the way he walked as he strode in the back of the garden made him look hot. Of course it was impossible not to notice just how gorgeous he was.

"Catching a bit of sun, whilst you get a chance, huh?" Kellan asked me playfully, even though he already knew the answer to that.

I rolled my eyes. "Well…trying to," I grumbled sarcastically, joking with him back as I quickly got up from where I was laid out in the sun.

I tried to stand as gracefully as possible which was quite difficult to do given how shaky my legs were now that Rob was stood less than fifteen feet away.

Kellan laughed in response. "Where's Tasha?"

I shrugged uncertainly. "I'm not sure; she was still in bed when I came out but she might have gotten up by now." I smiled.

He instantly headed into the kitchen, to go and look for her and see if she was up and I smiled after him in response, glad to see the two were clearly getting along well.

"So Kellan was mentioning you were looking to get your book published…" Rob spoke up from where he was stood and instantly, my heart raced in response to hearing his voice, though I tried desperately to ignore it.

I forced my eyes upwards, to where he was still stood, desperately trying to be as cool as possible.

"Yeah…I haven't particularly got anywhere with trying to get it published yet, but I'm sure something will come up." I smiled, ignoring my fluttering heart in just response to how ridiculously gorgeous he was.

He smiled awkwardly, his forehead creasing slightly as he ran his hand through the top of his hair.

I chewed on the right bottom of my lip, ignoring the way my stomach dropped in response to how cute he was. Even when his forehead creased a little bit when he was concentrating; all it did was make him look hotter.

"Well I have a friend who works for a publishing company and she's pretty reliable when it comes to getting people's work published." He produced something from his front right, jean pocket and it was only as I looked closer that I saw it was a business card. "If you give her ring or drop her an email and mention you know me, she'll be more than happy to help get your work published quickly."

I stared at him in astonishment for a few seconds, surprised that he was so willing to help me get my work published.

It was so kind of him and completely unexpected, well…at least for me, given that I wasn't used to unexpected kindness from people…

I couldn't help but feel a little suspicious as he held out the card for me to take, despite how silly that might have been. He was only being kind and it was probably obvious to him how much I wanted to get published, but because I was a little unused to it, I wanted to know why he was helping me first of all, before I accepted it.

"Why…I mean why would you do this for me when you don't really know me?" I asked him suspiciously, sounding a bit like a sour witch and I smiled apologetically as I spoke, hoping he didn't find me too rude. I was just uncertain on why he even wanted to help me out.

He shrugged. "Well maybe not, but from what you were telling me last weekend, I can tell you're passionate about writing and have worked hard to get where you have. My friend is one of these people who…well, she prefers to play by the rules rather than break them so she might not even consider giving your work a chance, but I thought it was worth a try, given how much you want to get published."

I nodded, seeing that he was obviously only trying to help me out.

"Yeah, you're right…thank you." I smiled politely, holding my hand out to take the business card from him.

My hand brushed his slightly as I did and I gasped a little in surprise as I felt a slight electric jolt run through my skin the instant we touched. My stomach tightened slightly in a pleasant sort of way too.

I instantly pulled my hand away, though it certainly wasn't because I wanted to…but more because I was embarrassed with my reaction towards him.

At first, I thought it was only me who felt it, because I didn't really believe he could have felt it too.

But as I peered up at him through my dark eyelashes, I saw that he too looked surprised. His eyes were almost smouldering, and they looked even more intense than what they normally did. I realised he must have felt it too.

I felt really awkward, especially given that I had never had that reaction with anyone in my life before.

My cheeks turned a slight pink and I chewed nervously on my bottom lip as I kept my eyes glued to the cool stone flooring, even though I'd have much preferred to be looking back at him and revel in such feelings.

Luckily, Rachael's laughter rung in the air as she headed outside to the garden to sit at the table, interrupting the awkward silence that hung between Rob and I and ending the opportunity to have to talk about what had just happened between us, though I was certain we would have to discuss it eventually.

I sat in the garden for most of the morning, looking over the business card Rob had given me earlier on.

They were called Raider's Publishers and their card seemed pretty reliable and trustworthy and I did feel that maybe this was my first real option to come to light for me since I got here, but now of course, I had other things to think about, such as what had happened this morning between me and Rob.

It was the last thing I wanted to think about though because if I kept thinking of what had happened, then the more I was definitely going to dwell on it and worry about what might happen when I see him again, so I knew that if I sent an email to these publishers, it would give me something to think about and concentrate on.

I stayed in my chair as afternoon approached, not wanting to go back into the house because I knew Rob and Kellan were still around.

Eventually, Rachael came out to see where I had got to and I forced a polite smile as she headed over to me, looking a little worried.

"You alright chick; you've been out here for a while?" She pointed out.

I nodded. "Yeah, yeah, just err…thinking that's all." I lied, hoping that she might believe me, despite how unconvincing I sounded.

Thankfully, she nodded, not looking convinced, but looking as though she realised I didn't want to talk about it. She took a seat on the sunbed next to mine.

"I'm surprised you've been sat out here for as long as you have when Rob's still here. I thought you would be constantly swooning over him, whilst you've still got the chance." She teased playfully, obviously not realising that he was the reason I was still sat out here.

I smiled, holding up the little business card that Rob had given me, for her to see.

"Ahh, so you've been thinking about that."

"Yeah, sort of," I smiled awkwardly.

"Well, you should definitely do it babe and I'm glad that Rob obviously has such faith in you to give you that card too. He obviously thinks you're a really great writer who deserves to get her work published." She smiled kindly.

I smiled in gratitude to her compliment, though I realised nobody could think that for certain, as he hadn't read any stories. "Thanks babes."

"It's alright chick…look, Rob and Kellan are all in the living room, but I really think you should get something to eat and drink before you go and see them." She warned me worriedly.

I nodded, knowing that she was right but not really wanting to go back in yet. It was early in the afternoon now, and I had been sat out here for quite a long while and I was relieved to know that everyone was in the living room rather than the kitchen, because despite liking the way that Rob made me feel when I was with him, I knew it would do nobody any good to indulge in it when it would only end in tears for me.

I only had a quick cheese and tomato sandwich and a glass of water for lunch as Rachael was making cheesy burritos for dinner that night and I was feeling too excited for them to even consider ruining my appetite.

I remained in the kitchen for the rest of the day whilst Rob and Kellan were around, as it just felt too awkward still.

I got a little bored with just sitting around and doing nothing though, so I went upstairs and grabbed my guitar from my bedroom.

It was absolutely beautiful; a light brown colour, with a patch of black. I grabbed it and headed downstairs, sitting in the back of the garden, where I had been sat this morning. I didn't feel like singing exactly, I just felt like playing the guitar.

I hadn't played in so long but when I was bored and had nothing to do, I always came back to this. I wasn't very good at it, at least not really, but…nevertheless, I loved playing anyway.

I started to play the intro to Stairway to Heaven as I knew it off by heart from where I used to try and practice it for as long as I did. I used to be really obsessed with getting it just right, because it was a really hard song to play.

I really concentrated as I did, as I wanted to get it right because I loved playing and had missed it more than I thought.

"Hey…I didn't realise you played."

I almost dropped the guitar on hearing Rob's voice from just behind me, but luckily I managed to catch it before it completely dropped to the floor.

He laughed awkwardly in response, coming to stand in front of me. He took a seat on a sunbed beside mine and turned back to me.

Even now…when there were just us, it was strange. It felt as though there was something there, a pull, like chemistry. It just felt…_right_ somehow, but I knew it was completely the wrong time, with the wrong person. He didn't feel like that about me.

I mean, I had only just met him after all, so it was fair enough really.

He had only just broke up with someone he knew for over six years, so I imagined trying to get over that was hard enough.

"Err…yeah," I finally replied, only just remembering what he had said. "Yeah, I took it up when I was about sixteen or seventeen…I mean, I know I'm not very good at it, but it's something that I like to do in my spare time."

"Hmm…I'd disagree," he insisted confidently. "It took me five years to properly get the hang of the intro to Stairway to Heaven." He confessed. "You almost sounded as good as a professional." He smiled.

I couldn't help but smile back. "Oh, well….thanks."

"Is there any other songs you can play?" He asked curiously.

"Hmm…just a few other songs. I can play _yesterday_ by the Beatles, and _Something_. And I can also sing Somewhere over the Rainbow too."

He nodded, looking impressed. "Do you err…play anything else?"

"Yeah, I play the piano actually," I admitted a little sheepishly. "I only know how to play my own stuff really, but I was sort of taught by Andrew Lloyd Webber when I was in training for the West End."

Now he did look impressed. "Wow, that's…pretty cool. You must be good then, if he taught you."

I shrugged. "I guess…I wanted to learn more, so I asked him to teach me and he plays the piano really well."

He nodded, looking as though he wasn't sure on what else to say.

"I know you play the piano and guitar too…what sort of music are you into though?" I asked him, genuinely curious.

He grinned in response. "Anything really…I like some of the old stuff, like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Van Morrison too, of course. He's my biggest inspiration really…how about you?"

"Yeah, I really love the old music. Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Eva Cassidy, Bonnie Tyler, and I love Van Morrison too. I think he's music's pretty awesome. I love Brown Eyed Girl and Moon-dance. I think my favourite of his is Crazy Love though."

He smiled. "Yeah same actually."

I couldn't help but smile back in response, liking the fact that we had things in common that we could talk about. It felt nice to be getting along like this, without any awkwardness as I thought there would be, after the way our hands had touched earlier on, when we were alone together.

The guys went just before dinner and I had to say it was a shame they didn't stay for dinner, as the burritos that Rachael made were literally so lush, there was no way to describe them without doing them justice. She was such a good cook and she looked so proud of herself when we all complimented her on how amazing her cooking was.

I helped Rachael with the wiping up and putting away whilst contemplating sending an email to the publishing company tonight.

"Go for it," Rachael insisted straight away, just like I knew she would. "You deserve it babe and I really do think that this is a good opportunity for you to get published. You're too good not to get published."

I grinned in response as I poured myself a glass of wine from the fridge. "Awe thanks babes; it means a lot to hear you say that."

She shrugged in response as she put down her tea towel on the side. "It's just the truth darling. I think it's good that you've been given this opportunity, given how hard you have worked to get where you have the last few years."

"Well it's all worth it, if it means I'm finally about to get published. There's literally nothing else I want to do with my life, or even can consider doing with my life."

"Yeah, I know this is always what you've wanted and I am literally so happy for you." She insisted with a smile.

"Anyway…moving back to you, do you reckon that Jackson will be round tomorrow with the guys?" I asked curiously, knowing that Kellan and Rob were planning to come round here for a bit whilst they had some time off left. I had heard Kellan mention it to Tasha, who seemed like he couldn't wait to let her know.

She shrugged, seeming unsure.

"I don't know…I mean obviously, it would be nice to see him. He's a lovely guy and I enjoyed speaking to him the other night. I think Blaine quite liked chatting to him too."

"That's good…and obviously, it means that you'll be able to keep checking him out some more too, obviously." I teased, making her laugh in response.

"Well you know…like I keep saying, I'm allowed to look but never touch, darling."

I laughed along with her, knowing that was very true. It was the exact same with Rob and me really. I didn't believe for a second that anything could or would ever happen but I was allowed to look as much as I wanted.

I had checked him out thoroughly the first time we had met and I had to say, he was one mighty fine ass on him. I could quite literally check him out all day, if I was ever allowed to.

I went to bed shortly after dinner, after watching a movie with the girls. I went to my bedroom and sent an email to the publishers before I went to sleep, and though I was nervous about what to say and what exactly to put, I found it a lot easier than having to ring them up and talk to them.

I mentioned that I knew Rob but didn't exactly elaborate much further than that as I wanted to see for myself if I would get a reply about sending a copy of my book over to them, rather than use Rob's name and our friendship to get me published.

I was happy I sent the message because I believed that something good would come out of it, and whether or not I was thinking a little too positively, it didn't bother me. I preferred thinking positively and I really did believe that things might work out for me this time around, especially with the help of Rob's name to his friend too.


	6. Honesty

**Honesty**

Over the next week, I didn't hear anything back from the publishing company but I wasn't completely devastated if I was being honest, as I realised that most of the time they didn't get back to you for ages anyway, so I wasn't exactly expecting good or bad news if I was being honest.

By the next weekend, the girls were desperate to go out clubbing again and enjoy ourselves as we hadn't been out in a little while, I reluctantly agreed.

Rachael made a promise to make me look as amazing as possible as Rob had promised to go out with us and I happily obliged to let her make me over.

I was a little surprised that Rob had agreed to go, given how much he hated the attention of being in the limelight, so I knew he often preferred staying in. But then, I didn't really know anything about him, because all you read in the magazines was normally lies anyway.

"Kellan got us tickets for the VIP area," Rachael explained as we came back from clothes shopping on the Saturday for tonight. "I think he mainly did it to get Rob to come as he wanted to meet up with Tasha, but didn't want it to be just him there. Jackson is coming too but he knew Rob would only come if it was in the VIP area, so there weren't any fans around. I think it makes Rob feel a little awkward when he's out with people."

Now that made quite a lot of sense.

I got myself showered slowly, knowing full well that I shouldn't have cared about Rob thought of what I wore or looked like, but I did. I was treading on dangerous territory but despite how wrong it was, I found that I didn't want to stop.

I'd never felt such a strong feeling before, and it was hard to explain what made it so irresistible. Being around him was like a web of desire, slowly reeling me in more and more and though I knew it would end in disaster for me, I wanted to see more of him, not less.

As soon as I got out of the shower, Rachael dried my hair for me and straightened it, so that it fell neatly down my shoulder. She clipped my fringe back out of the way, giving it a dramatic look; before she went on to do my make-up.

As soon as I looked in the mirror, I was more than pleased with what she had done.

My make-up was kept to a minimum level; she had put foundation on, a tiny bit of blusher to make my cheeks more sculptured looking, and slight bit of dusky pink eye shadow. She had also made my eyelashes look natural and a lot longer by flicking them out, without making them bulky with mascara and she had put some dark lipstick on, matching my dark pink skirt that I had on.

My clothes were quite unique looking but I liked that.

I wore a grey band tee shirt, with no sleeves, and a dark pink lace skirt, which showed off my tanned legs. She had put a pair of black ankle leather boots with them, to match the leather jacket I wanted to wear tonight.

She had given me this unique look on purpose and we both knew it.

She knew Rob liked girls that looked a little different and was more unique rather than the ones, who wore what everyone else was wearing on a Saturday night, and I suddenly felt confident in my new clothes and I couldn't wait to show them off.

Even my hair looked sleek and shiny, but still didn't look too perfected either, which was exactly the look I was going for.

I thanked Rachael over and over again for my new rock-chick look, making her laugh as I hugged her too.

I was excited when I went downstairs as I knew the guys were coming over here first so that we all got taxi's together, to make the trip to the club less expensive for all of us going there.

I went straight to the fridge to pour myself a glass of wine, because I realised that wine would help in making me appear more confident than I actually was.

I was nervous though, but then I knew I would be.

I was always nervous when I was around Rob, more-so because I just couldn't seem to keep my eyes off of him.

It was embarrassing for me, as I knew he didn't feel like that for me, but I couldn't seem to help it.

There was no denying I had feelings for him, and whenever we were in the same room together, there seemed to be an air of chemistry between us, but I still wasn't stupid. I knew it was more me who felt it, rather than him.

And as soon as he walked in the door, I knew he was here without even turning around and looking at him.

I knew it sounded stupid, it sounded ridiculous even to me, but it was true.

My stomach tightened into a sickly knot and my heart instantly sped up. I gripped the sides of the counter from behind me, trying to get some support in order to calm myself down enough before he walked through the kitchen door.

I chewed anxiously on the edge of my bottom lip, fighting the urge to bolt from the kitchen and up the stairs so that I could have more time to chill before I had to see him again.

I had to be brave, or at least try to be, especially if he was going to be coming around the house more often.

It seemed Kellan was becoming more and more interested in Tasha, and the two of them constantly hung out together, so I would be seeing Rob a lot.

I just needed to man up and deal with it.

I'd just about prepared myself to see him again tonight when he walked through the kitchen door and caught my breath all over again.

I mean, how could he not?

I knew I sounded vain and shallow but he really was attractive, a lot more than I could have ever believed him to be when I read articles about him in magazines and watched his interviews and whatever.

He literally stole my breath away every single time that I laid my eyes on him.

He was really easy to talk to, and he genuinely seemed very lovely. I could tell he still wasn't over Kristen and whenever I overstepped the mark, there was a dark look in his eyes, a pain that I could see which he tried to hide away from everyone else.

He was dressed well tonight, and as soon as he stepped in the door, he stood out from everyone else for me.

He was wearing a smart grey suit, with black trousers, to match the shirt he was wearing.

His dark clothes only highlighted his gorgeous olive green eyes even more and I couldn't help but notice how perfectly shaped his lips were…

I tried to shake the image of his mouth from my head, noticing how messy his hair looked. The dishevelled look always suited him anyway, but I could tell that it was more from awkwardly running his hand through his hair, rather than making it look naturally messy.

He smiled awkwardly when he saw me.

I'm awkward in most situations anyway, but even more-so when there was an undercurrent of tension running through the air. I was certainly not used to this sort of tension before either.

Jackson was with Kellan and Rob tonight, though I hardly paid any attention to them. It was impossible to take notice of anyone but Rob whenever he was around.

Nevertheless, I tried not to make that fact very obvious to him as to not make him feel awkward. To keep me occupied, I kept sipping on my glass of wine, trying my hardest not to look at him, despite how much I wanted to stare at him every second of tonight, as to make the very most of it.

Rachael decided that Rachael, Blaine and Jackson would go in one taxi, and Tasha, me, Kellan and Rob would go in another.

I was more than happy with that, particularly as it wouldn't be just me and Rob alone in a taxi together, given how awkward it felt at the moment.

We agreed to wait for the next taxi to come and let Rachael, Blaine and Jackson go along first as we didn't particularly mind waiting a bit longer.

Even that was a little awkward, in the fact that Kellan kept trying to get me and Rob to talk to one another, despite it still being a little awkward between us.

As soon as the taxi came, Kellan headed out with Tasha and I followed quickly behind, not wanting to be left in an awkward situation with Rob.

Tasha ran back up to me as I was just about to shut the front door and smiled apologetically at me.

"There are only three seats in the car. The middle seat has no seatbelt so he's refusing to take all of us. Kellan is offering to stay here and lock up if the two of you want to come with me?" Tasha asked.

I knew it wouldn't be fair to ask him to do that though, given how well Tasha and Kellan were getting along, and how sweet it would be if they had more time to themselves to talk and get to know each other better.

I also knew it wasn't exactly fair to consider leaving Rob alone to lock up, so it looked as though we were going to be waiting for another taxi alone for a bit longer.

"No look…its fine," I insisted firmly. "Look, if you wanted to get off with Kellan now, and Rob and me can stay behind and wait for the next taxi…that's if you don't mind doing that Rob?" I quickly asked politely, turning a little to look at him and ignoring the way my stomach tightened in response.

He nodded straight away, like I knew he would.

"Yeah absolutely, of course."

Tasha smiled in response, looking a little relieved, though that was probably as she could spend more alone time with Kellan.

"Thanks guys…the taxi driver said he's already rang for another taxi anyway, so it shouldn't be too long to wait."

"Okay, cool." I smiled, waving her off into the taxi.

As soon as the taxi pulled away from just outside our driveway, my stomach instantly tightened, but this time, it was from nerves more than from desire.

"Erm…I guess we should wait inside, rather than out here in the cold." I insisted, chewing nervously on the edge of my bottom lip as I turned to look at him.

He was so adorably cute, especially when his forehead creased a little in anxiousness, when he was nervous.

"Yeah, of course." He agreed, though he didn't look very cold.

I shivered as I headed back into the front door, giving me away and I flushed a little in response, knowing he would have seen it as he was just behind me.

I heard him shut the door behind him, and instantly my stomach turned again, knowing we really were alone now. I couldn't deny I felt excited and nervous at the same time, even though I knew that he didn't feel that way about me.

I chose to sit in the living room as it was a little warmer in there and I snuggled welcomingly into the sofa, appreciating comfort before we headed out into the cold, to go clubbing.

I was definitely more of a staying in Girl if I was being completely honest with myself.

Rob headed into the living room a little uncertainly, so I smiled at him as reassuringly as possible which was difficult, given how difficult it was to try and not be attracted to him.

"So have you heard anything from the publishers?" Rob asked curiously as he sat down on the other side of the sofa.

I turned to look at him better and instantly smiled, not being able to resist smiling at him as soon as I laid my eyes on him.

"No, I haven't heard anything yet, but fingers crossed…I think they usually take ages in getting back to people."

"Did you mention you knew me?" He said with a teasing smile.

I flushed in response. "Err…yeah, well I did mention I know you, but I didn't exactly elaborate, as I didn't want them to think that I was using your name or whatever to try and get published." I explained truthfully.

He smiled in response. "I bet you're an amazing writer anyway, so it won't be long until you get published either way." He insisted confidently.

I couldn't help but flush awkwardly in response, realising just how much he believed that. He sounded too confident not to really mean it.

"It's sweet that you say that. Maybe I should send you a copy of the story I wrote, see what you think. I mean…obviously I know you're busy, but if you have time, you could, if you wanted to. It's up to you."

"Yeah, I'd like that." He insisted confidently.

I chewed nervously on the edge of my bottom lip, unsure of what to say now.

"It's weird…going out tonight. I haven't been clubbing in absolutely ages, more-so because everyone seems to find out where I am pretty quickly." He joked with a smile.

"Well I'm glad you are. I think I'd have been a bit of a third wheel sat with everyone else." I laughed.

"Jackson's single now." Rob reminded me with a smile.

I snickered at that. "I think if Rachael wasn't with Blaine, she would have jumped on him by now." I joked with a laugh. "And even if she didn't like him…I'm not interested in him to be honest."

He stared at me curiously and I instantly regretted saying it like that. Because it meant that he was sure to ask me questions about what I meant about that.

"Now, I'm curious." He insisted with a cheeky grin, making me laugh awkwardly in response. "Rachael seemed to believe that you were ready for a relationship earlier on. For some reason, she seemed it appropriate to point that out to me." He teased.

_Oh god_!

I thought in response, flushing awkwardly as he stared at me expectantly, waiting for my response to that.

My poor bottom lip was getting chewed to pieces thanks to my embarrassment.

"Erm…." I started, trying to think of something to say. "Well err…yeah, I am looking for a relationship. I'm happy being single, but if something leads to a relationship, then great. But Jackson's not really my type." I confessed sheepishly.

He grinned. "So…what is your type?"

He sounded as though he was just genuinely curious, but it was making me feel very awkward, given that Rob was _exactly_ my type in every single way.

My stomach was turning consistently, from both nerves and from desire for him but I tried to ignore it as I took a deep breath and answered, trying not to sound too nervous.

"Erm…well, I like someone who's funny and who can make me laugh, someone who's confident too…as for looks, I don't really know really…I find green eyes quite attractive." I confessed, hoping I wasn't describing him too much.

"Urm…how about you anyway?" I stuttered nervously, quickly changing the subject back to him.

He instantly looked awkward, running his hand through the top of his hair like how he normally did when he was nervous about something.

"Same really…personality is more important than good looks." He insisted confidently, a small smile on his face as he replied. "I guess I find intelligence attractive too…and a good bum, of course." He joked teasingly, grinning at me.

I laughed awkwardly in response, not sure what to say about that. "Yeah, I've always thought the same…that personality is more important than good looks, I mean. My Mum always jokes that some of my previous boyfriends have been questionable." I confessed with an awkward laugh.

He grinned in response. "Questionable in a good or bad way?" He teased.

"Just not very good looking," I laughed. "My first proper boyfriend wasn't _that_ bad looking though. I guess he kind of looked like Howard from Big Bang Theory." I laughed.

"I know who you mean!" Rob laughed in response, causing me to giggle even more in response to that.

"My first official boyfriend who I just used to see in college, nothing serious wasn't very good looking at all. My Mum used to always say that but it didn't bother me for a minute. I was attracted to him of course, I never go out with anyone I'm not attracted to one bit, but…there was just something different about him…and we had a spark too, which is always important, of course. He was hilarious though, always making me laugh by doing stupid things, telling stupid jokes, and doing impressions of other people." I laughed.

"I tend to do stupid things without even meaning to." He confessed sheepishly, laughing at himself as he admitted that.

I rolled my eyes in denial. "Yeah right, I'm sure you're not as much of a klutz I am. I pretty much fall over everything in sight with seems to make people laugh." I confessed. "But my first proper boyfriend made me laugh too, he just wasn't as…funny, I guess." I giggled.

"What happened with your first boyfriend…if you don't mind me asking?" Rob asked curiously, smiling politely as he asked.

"Erm…..do you mind if we don't? Not for now anyway, just….well I did something stupid when I was with him. I ended up really hurting him and I guess…well I still regret it, and I still basically hate talking about it."

I was relieved when I saw the taxi pull outside the front of the house as it meant that we didn't have to talk about that subject any further, because I was already feeling guilty about things that were meant to be in the past.

"Taxi's here," I confirmed, quickly heading out into the hallway, before Rob could even get up from the sofa.

I was about to pull open the front door, when I was suddenly stopped, by a hand grabbing my wrist.

I looked round in surprise to see Rob standing in front of me, a slight awkward looking smile on his face.

The feeling of his hand against my wrist…his skin against mine was indescribable. Even just this little bit of touch made me shiver in delight a little, without even thinking about it.

"Listen…whatever you did, it doesn't matter. I wouldn't judge you for it, because it's not my place. But if you ever did want to talk about it with anyone, with me or whoever, then don't feel like you can't. your past is your past, after all." He smiled sweetly, obviously trying to be kind about it.

"Well…thank you." I smiled, not sure what else to say.

In truth, I didn't even feel up to going clubbing anymore tonight. What I really wanted to do tonight was stay in and talk to Rob and get to know him better as I really did feel as though I could talk to him a lot more, especially now.

But I also knew how much tonight meant to the girls and as we hadn't been out together yet, I reluctantly followed Rob out of the front of the house, shutting and locking the front door behind me.


	7. Jealousy

**Jealousy**

I still wasn't sure on what to say to him in the taxi because although we were getting on really well, I wasn't very good at making conversation. I was sure I would have been fine once I had a drink in my hand, as alcohol always made me feel more confident.

We arrived outside the club within ten minutes though, and I was quicker than Rob when it came to paying as I didn't want him to pay for me.

I wasn't really in the mood for clubbing, and I couldn't deny that it was mainly because as soon as I had mentioned my ex and what had happened with him, I felt really guilty. Even now, two years after everything had happened, I couldn't forgive myself.

Maybe that was one of the main reasons for why I didn't feel worthy of anything or anyone all the time.

I trailed along behind Rob whilst we were allowed into the club first, despite the massive queue that was outside of the club because they recognised him.

I clearly heard Rob say to the bouncer that I was with him so that I didn't have to wait and I fought hard to fight a smile in response, by chewing on the edge of my bottom lip.

I followed him into the club, trying to keep my head down as much as possible, just like how he was doing. The last thing I wanted to do was be recognised with Rob, but it was a little easier for him to fit into the crowd, as he had put a cap on whilst he was in the taxi so that nobody recognised him.

It was very loud in the nightclub and very bright too.

The club was massive but the huge dance floor was filled with hundreds of people and I couldn't help but gasp in shock in response. There was no way that I was going to be dancing when it was _that_ crowded.

Nicki Minaj's _Va-Va Voom_ started playing and the club went wild in response.

There were so many people stood around us and I was struggling to keep up with him as he was quite a fast walker compared to me.

His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist before I could trip over someone's foot, which I almost did. I flushed awkwardly in response, trying to ignore the way my heart skipped in response to how pleasant his skin was against mine. It was strange to explain, but it somehow felt…right, in a way.

He pulled me through the crowds successfully though, despite how clumsy I was.

We eventually managed to get to the VIP section which was where everyone must have been waiting.

As soon as we headed through the doors, Rob instantly let go of my wrist, and I couldn't deny that I felt a little disappointed, even if it had been just for getting through the large crowds of the nightclub.

I soon spotted where everyone was though, sat in the corner of the large VIP area, away from everyone else who was dancing on the floor in the middle of the room. It was just as loud in here as it was out in the main part of the nightclub and just as busy, but it was nice to see Rachael and Tasha happy and excited.

We instantly headed over there to see them and I took a seat beside Tasha on the end of a banana shaped sofa.

"We were wondering when you two were coming." Tasha confessed, eyeing us suspiciously, as though she genuinely believed we had been up to no good before we got here.

Yeah, I should be so lucky.

"Yeah, the taxi took a little longer than we thought, but I'm here now." I grinned. "I bet I didn't miss much, did I?"

"Hmm…not really…Rachael was up dancing a minute go, going a bit crazy…you know what she's like." Tasha admitted with a roll of her eyes, making me laugh in response.

"Does anyone need a drink?" Rob asked, after getting up with Kellan to go and grab everyone a drink from the bar.

"Yes please, can I have a glass of medium dry wine…here is my money." I asked politely, grabbing a ten dollar note out of my purse and handing it out to Rob.

He rolled his eyes in response. "Don't be silly."

"If you won't take it, I'll come to the bar with you." I warned him teasingly, grinning at him in response.

Rob grinned back in response, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Rachael, make sure she don't get up." He grinned at Rachael who instantly winked back in response and nodded, before taking a seat next to me so that I couldn't get out.

I sighed heavily in response and pretended to glare angrily at Rob in response. "I will get to that bar first one day." I promised him, making him chuckle in response.

Kellan and Rob went to the bar then, leaving Rachael, Blaine, Jackson, me and Tasha alone. Blaine and Jackson seemed to be busy talking, and I knew that Rachael and Tasha were soon going to start asking questions about Rob and what happened back at the house.

"So missus, what happened with Rob whilst the two of you were alone?" Rachael grinned. "I mean, it took you long enough to get here. It wouldn't surprise me if the minute Tasha and Kellan were gone, the two of you had your hands all over each other-"

"Err Rachael!" I interrupted quickly, shaking my head at what she clearly believed to be true. It was lucky some of us were not as dirty minded as her. "We were actually just talking."

"Yeah right, I've heard that before!"

"We really were, I swear…we got talking about relationships and stuff because he pointed out that Jackson was single too."

This made Rachael gasp in shock, making me roll my eyes in response.

"Oh silly, I told him that Jackson was definitely not my type and that was when he got asking what my type was and stuff…and then we were talking about relationships and things."

Rachael nodded, looking impressed. "He sounds interested."

I rolled my eyes again, huffing at her. "Rachael, I really do think that he's not interested. I think he was just being polite and making conversation whilst we waited."

She huffed in response. "My, my, you really are blind."

"Rachael, I'm being serious. Of course I like him, it's impossible not to like him when you get talking to him. But I just don't think he's even looking for a relationship, let alone like me." I admitted.

Rachael rolled her eyes in response. "Men…they're so slow in working out what they want!" She huffed, making Tasha laugh in response.

"Well I don't know…Kellan's being pretty touchy feely at the moment." She giggled.

"I bet he is!" Rachael giggled. "Obviously he's a man who knows what he wants…maybe Rob just needs a push in the right direction."

"Err…Rachael, what does that mean? You better not be thinking of stirring up any trouble." Tasha warned her as I continued to glare at her suspiciously.

"No, of course not." She grinned. "But maybe…if somebody else started to pay attention to you…then he might actually realise how much you mean to him-"

"Rachael, no! I'm not stirring up any trouble; I've been there and done that with the whole trouble malarkey. I don't want to hurt Rob and if he likes me, he likes me. If he doesn't, he doesn't."

"Charlie, he does like you, we can all tell, he just doesn't know it yet…but look at that guy over there."

I followed her eyes, over to the bar where some guy was standing. He was standing on the other side of the bar, but he was looking straight over here.

He did look a bit like Rob in a way, with his dark, messy hair and his smouldering grey eyes, as well as that sculptured looking jaw, but he looked more confident than Rob always did.

He was wearing quite simple clothes too. A white tee shirt, which fitted his strong torso very well, with a pair of tight jeans and I could tell he loved himself a little bit too much.

I instantly shook my head in response and turned away, despite how he was smiling straight at me, because I just wasn't interested. He looked far too arrogant and that was one thing that really annoyed me.

"I know exactly what you're thinking Rachael, but it's a definite no. He looks far too arrogant and cocky anyway." I huffed.

Rachael rolled her eyes in response. "I'm not saying you have to marry him or whatever, just dance with him. Seeing you with another guy might then make Rob realise how he feels about you."

"No, Rachael!" I insisted firmly, though as I looked his way again, I realised that he might eventually come up to us anyway, given how much he was looking at us.

"He'll probably come over to us anyway. He's been looking your way ever since you walked in here with Rob." She confirmed my thoughts, but I ignored her, as Rob and Kellan were walking this way now anyway.

I wasn't really looking forward to tonight at all but because Rob was here, it made it more bearable at the very least. However, there was no hiding my disappointment as him, Kellan and Jackson headed back over to the bar a while later to sit on their own for a bit and talk, though Rachael could only roll her eyes in response.

"If you're that bothered by it then why don't you go and dance with that guy, who is _still_ clearly checking you out. It's bound to wind Rob up enough to make him realise that he likes you." She confirmed sweetly.

I rolled my eyes in response, fed up of her trying to 'help'.

"If he comes over Rachael, then yeah, maybe, I'll think of dancing with him. But stop trying to get involved, please Rach."

She smiled sweetly. "Whatever you say, sweetie."

The boys stayed over at the bar for ages, and eventually, even Blaine went and joined them for a drink, which didn't go down very well with Rachael, considering how long they were there for.

I was thinking of calling it an early night as this wasn't really my thing.

"Hey," I looked up instantly, hearing a London-accent, thinking that it was Rob for a second, but then seeing the guy who was checking me out at the bar for ages stood in front of me.

I instantly started to panic a little as I chewed on the edge of my bottom lip, as I hadn't really thought that he would come over and say hello to me.

"Urm…hey," I smiled politely, wondering why he had come over.

He was quite cute, I had to admit, now that he was stood in front of me and I had to admit he did smell really nice.

He smiled a little awkwardly and I began to realise that he might not be as confident as I first initially thought he was.

"I hope you don't mind me coming over and speaking to you. I can tell you're out with your mates, but…I don't know, there's just something about you…and I really don't do this often, which is why it's a little…awkward for me, I guess you could say." He laughed awkwardly in response, running his hand through his dark hair.

I smiled politely in response, realising for myself that he wasn't arrogant in the slightest. I shook my head, meaning that I didn't mind him coming over.

"It's fine…do you want a seat?" I asked politely, shoving up on the sofa to let him sit down next to me.

He nodded, thanking me and taking a seat beside me.

"So I notice you haven't got an American accent, which obviously means you can't have moved out here from the UK very long ago." He noted with a smile.

I shook my head. "No, I literally moved out here a few months ago actually. I'm staying with my friend, she's got a home here in Los Angeles…and you're from London, am I right?" I asked, making conversation with him now that he was here.

He nodded. "Yeah, I moved out here about six months ago. I'm an actor so when work dried up in London, I guess I thought I'd give Los Angeles a try." He confessed a little embarrassedly.

I smiled. "Yeah, same…well; I'm a writer and an actress. I did star in a film a few months back, but besides that…"

"Well, you're luckier than me, then." He smiled. "I haven't had any call backs for anything so far, so I've kind of taken up photography in my spare time, which is actually going pretty well."

"What sort of photography do you do?" I asked, genuinely interested.

"Erm…landscape normally, but I sometimes do fashion photography too."

I nodded, smiling. "That sounds cool." I insisted.

"Yeah, it is…I mean, as you can imagine, I never really get anywhere with landscape photography as this isn't exactly the place to do it, but I'm getting more into fashion photography."

I nodded in response. "Yeah, I see your point. I used to quite like photography; I mean, taking photos and stuff, I wasn't really into anything serious. I just did my own stuff." I admitted with a shy smile.

He smiled back in response. "Was you any good?"

"Meh…not bad, I guess." I grinned. "Err…what's your name anyway? I just realised I haven't even asked."

"Jamie, Jamie Stevenson. You?"

"Charlotte Higgins, I prefer Charlie though." I smiled.

The more that I got talking to Jamie, the more that I realised I had quite a lot in common with him.

He went to college like me and studied Journalism, just like me too, and he liked seeing musicals, just like me too.

He seemed really nice and genuine, and I did enjoy talking to him, though as I looked towards the bar, I realised that talking to Jamie might not have been the best idea.

Kellan and Rob were looking straight over here and though Kellan seemed to be quite amused, Rob certainly didn't look amused one bit.

I instantly ducked my head, seeing for myself that it was clearly bothering him.

The truth was, I wasn't even talking to him to make Rob jealous anymore. That was never my intention as I wasn't that sort of person, but I actually liked talking to Jamie. Especially as I was starting to realise that I didn't have much of a chance with Rob so in reality, I needed to start accepting that.

"Hey…I'm not much of a dancer, but do you fancy a dance?" Jamie asked me curiously, sounding really awkward as he asked me.

I could tell that he didn't often do this and though I didn't exactly dance very much, I didn't particularly mind.

Kellan and Rob seemed to be busy talking more now, so it shouldn't have been too awkward either.

"Err…yeah, why not?" I smiled.

I turned to look at Rachael and Tasha to tell them that I was getting up to dance but they were too busy talking anyway, so I left it.

It was really busy on the dance floor but we remained by the side of the floor so that we wasn't surrounded by so many people, but covered enough not for anyone to see our embarrassing dance moves.

We didn't really dance much, as we were more talking than anything else, but it was nice to get to know Jamie a little better.

"Listen…" he started, as Ne-Yo's _Give Me Everything_ started to play. "I really, _really_ like you." He confessed, pressing his mouth to my ear so that I could hear him better.

I smiled at him in response and nodded, letting him know that I felt the same way. It had been nice to get to know someone new, someone outside the usual group.

"You seem like a really sweet girl…you're very beautiful too." He insisted, making me flush awkwardly in response.

"And er…I'd like to see more of you again after tonight."

"Yeah…well that would be nice." I insisted truthfully, trying to ignore the niggling feeling about how wrong it was, when I was still quite caught up on Rob. After all, I needed to realise at some point that me and Rob was never going to happen, so why not start now?

"I'm glad you agree…" he insisted softly, and I pulled away again to be able to dance again properly with him.

He smiled and began leaning in towards me slightly, startling me and catching me off guard for a minute.

"Err…what are you doing?" I asked unsure, putting my hands on the front of his shirt to stop him and make him pull away.

He smiled innocently in response, as though I had lead him to this, which…I suppose in some way, I had. I had agreed to see him again after all, but I didn't agree to kiss him, at least…not right now anyway.

"You said you like me, right?"

"Err yeah, but-"

"Well then," he smiled, trying to lean in to kiss me once again, but for some reason, it just didn't feel right at all.

"No, look…I'm sorry. I don't want to." I pushed harder on his chest, when at first, he didn't quite pull away from me and tried to lean in once again.

"But you said a minute ago-"

"Yeah, I know, I know, and I do like you but I just-"

"Well then there you go." He insisted confidently, with a smile, as he tried to move in one me once again.

"No! Look, I said no and that's it, okay?"

I was starting to get angry with him now, because whether or not I had led him on, he should still take the hint that no was a no and that was it.

I pushed him away as hard as I could, but he was too strong for me, and this time, he just didn't seem to be taking a no for an answer. This was what I got for saying yes to dancing to someone, I supposed.

My hands fell away from his shirt as he was pulled away from me, falling down limply to my side as he was shoved backwards. Jamie was taken by surprise at first, but as Rob stepped around him, I realised he must have been looking directly at us to see what was going on.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief in response.

Rob was angry; it was obvious to both me and Jamie.

His forehead was furrowed as if he was concentrating, but in a different way, and he was glaring at Jamie as he turned around and stood himself in front of me, directly in between me and Jamie, so that he was protecting me.

"Look mate, she said no. I know it's loud in here but if a lady says no, you should learn to respect that." Rob warned him furiously, his voice tense.

Jamie huffed sourly in response, turning his eyes to Rob and scowling at him. "And who the hell are you? Because I don't think it's got anything to do with you _mate_."

"It's got everything to do with me when you can't respect a ladies choice. Next time, choose someone else to try it on with."

Rob was about to turn around to make sure that I was okay when Jamie stepped forwards, about to hit Rob.

"Rob!" I exclaimed in panic, trying to pull him out of the way so that Jamie didn't hurt him, but Rob quickly turned around in time and grabbed hold of his hand so that he couldn't get to him and before I knew it, Kellan was running over to us to get Jamie to calm down before he ended up hitting Rob.

"Oh no you don't buddy!" Kellan warned him angrily, managing to grab hold of him and keep his hands securely in his hold.

Kellan was a massive guy and was easily managing to keep Jamie under control.

Luckily, a bouncer came a few moments later and grabbed Jamie off of Kellan, taking him off his hands.

Kellan turned to look at me and Rob and grinned in response. "I always thought I would make a good bouncer."

Rob and I laughed in response, before we all quickly realised that most of the people on the dance floor were now staring at us.

Rob turned to look at me quickly, his face filled with anxiety and worry.

He stood a little closer and leaned in so that I could hear him better over the music, and I couldn't help but shiver a little as his beautiful, musky scent hit me again.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh huh, thank you." I smiled.

He stepped back to look at me and he still looked anxious; frowning thoughtfully at me.

His hand shot out, grabbing hold of my wrist and I instantly shivered a little in response, before I could help myself. His hand was warm, pleasant against my cold skin and that spark that I felt whenever he touched me was definitely still there alright.

He led me back over to the table where everyone was sat at, and where Kellan was now sat too and I let him, instantly feeling safe with him.

"I'm going to take Charlie home now, everyone." Rob announced, staring around at everyone. His forehead was still creased, though in concentration now, and I couldn't help but smile at the realisation that he was actually looking after me.

"Okay…" Rachael shouted against the music, looking worried. "Are you okay babes? It was lucky that Rob was there when he was…I swear to god if I had been there, I would have strangled the bastard." She huffed angrily in response.

I smiled at her, finding her amusing even at a time like this.

She was right though; it was lucky that Rob was there when he was and I was more than relieved that he was there.

"We'll see you at home then." Rachael smiled.

I followed Rob out of the VIP area, still feeling incredibly safe within his presence. He always made me feel safe when I was around him, whether that was just the aura he gave off, I wasn't sure. But he was definitely trustworthy.

As soon as we were out of the VIP area, he flipped his cap back on his head and kept his head down so that nobody recognised him.

I tagged behind him, trying to keep up as we rushed through the crowds.

It didn't take long to get to the front door of the nightclub and I was more than relieved to finally get out of the crowds. As soon as we stepped outside, I breathed in the cool air, relieved to be out of the busy nightclub.

He grabbed the first taxi outside of the club, not bothering to stick around for long, so that nobody could recognise him and I followed him into the awaiting taxi eagerly.

It was silent as we headed back to mine, but the silence was nice, pleasant. There didn't feel any need to fill the silence with chit-chat, as it was just nice enough to be in his presence.

We stopped directly outside of my house and he instantly opened the taxi door for me and walked me to the front door of the house.

I looked back at him awkwardly, chewing on the edge of my bottom lip. I didn't want him to go but I knew that was what he was preparing himself for.

He smiled awkwardly at me, waiting for me to open the front door so that he could watch me get in safely.

"Erm…did you want to come in? Just for a coffee or an alcoholic drink or something." I explained carefully, hoping that he would.

He thought about that for a moment, his forehead creasing in concentration as he did. He even ran his hand through the top of his hair, making him look awkward and so, so cute.

I chewed nervously on the edge of my bottom lip, trying to fight away the inappropriate thoughts of him.

"Yeah…sure, why not." He smiled his irresistible, cute smile.

I couldn't help but grin in response, pleased that he had actually said he would come in and have a drink before he went because it meant more time spent with Rob.

I tried to stay calm as much as possible as I turned to the front door and unlocked it.

The house was dark but warm as we stepped into the front door. It was pleasant, and smelt a little like lavender too, from when Tasha had been cleaning earlier in the day.

I shut the door behind Rob after turning the lights in the hallway on.

It felt strange to have him stood in the hallway, even if he had come round here lots of times before. He always seemed to look too great in our small hallway. He was just far too good looking for his own good.

He smiled at me uncertainly, reflecting my thoughts. I was never very good at making conversation and with him looking at me, it made trying to think of any coherent thought impossible.

As soon as I looked away from him however, I remembered why we were here.

"Err…coffee wasn't it?" I remembered awkwardly, quickly heading towards the kitchen and trying to walk as confidently as I could, which was difficult given how I could hear Rob following after me.

"Erm…yeah, please." He replied in the same awkward manner as me, making me smile in response.

He sometimes seemed as awkward as me and he always looked adorably cute when he was. I couldn't quite seem to be able to keep my eyes off of him when he run his hand through his hair or when his forehead creased in embarrassment.

I turned the kitchen light on and headed towards the kettle on the right side of the kitchen, trying to ignore hearing Rob's footsteps from behind me, heading into the kitchen.

I chewed on the edge of my bottom lip without even realising it as I tried to concentrate on anything but Rob, which was easier said than done.

As soon as I looked back round at him after making him a drink, the chemistry was instantly back again.

My stomach tightened and my heartbeat quickened as my eyes met his, though I tried hard not to notice it as I stumbled over to the kitchen table to continue our conversation.

When he was close to finishing his coffee, he sighed heavily in response. "I guess I should order a taxi."

"You could always stay here for the night if you wanted." I suggested, before I'd really thought about it.

He watched me wearily, but I continued on anyway, now that the words had somehow slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"We have two spare bedrooms that we never use…it's just an idea; rather than wasting money on another taxi home."

I didn't think that he would agree, given how wary he looked about the idea, so I was surprised when he finally nodded in response.

"Yeah, I guess I could actually…that is if you don't mind?" He made sure for certain before saying yes.

I instantly nodded in response. I certainly wasn't going to say no when he had agreed to staying for the night as it meant spending more time with Rob and getting to know him even better. As far as I was concerned, I couldn't get enough of that.

We moved into the living room after that, so that we could talk some more, before we went to sleep for the night.

It was the main reason why I had wanted him to stay round in the first place because I found it very pleasant to be able to talk to Rob some more, when we were getting on so well.

"So, I was wondering…do you still get time to focus on your other things? Like your music for example, even though you're really busy?" I asked him, genuinely interested.

He nodded. "Yeah, I get a few months off here and there, which is the good thing about acting. It sort of goes from one extreme; you're either really busy all of the time for months on end, or have loads of free time on your hands. Whenever I am free though, I normally just stay at home and play the guitar or piano, or sing. It sounds really boring but it's my kind of haven." He smiled awkwardly.

I shook my head. "No, sometimes I could spend days in the house, just writing up a story or playing the guitar and singing."

He smiled. "What do you do when you get free time from university anyway?"

"Urm…well, when I just have the weekends free, I normally finish off any coursework that needs doing as I like to stay on top of work as much as possible. Or I read books, or watch movies, or hang out with my flat mates and go to parties. I like watching theatre and going to concerts too…and when I have the holidays free, I normally go back home and make the mist of my time with my family."

He smiled again. "Are you close to your family?"

"Yeah, I am…I'm closest to my Mum as we tell each other everything and she really seems to understand me. What about you?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I speak to them now and again. Obviously, it's hard keeping in contact with your family all the time because of them living back in London and me over here, but I try to talk to them as much as possible." He smiled.

"Family's important to me though."

"Yeah, same to me too." I agreed with a smile.

It was getting late so I decided I should probably get ready for bed, so I reluctantly left the comfort of the sofa to go and get changed upstairs into my nightclothes.

I had a craving for hot chocolate and I knew that Rob was still downstairs, so I chose to put on something that was sexy but wasn't too suggestive at all.

I settled on a beautiful, white nightdress, with a lace finish at the top of the dress. The dress was covered in very pretty red floral patterns. I took my make-up off and left my hair naturally wavy and headed downstairs to go and make my hot chocolate before I went to bed.

I tiptoed as quietly as I could on the stairs to see where Rob was, and I couldn't quite hide my delighted smile as I realised he was in the kitchen.

As soon as I rounded the stairs and headed into the hallway, I felt nervous.

I didn't really know what I was doing and I knew he wasn't even that interested in me anyway, if not at all.

I almost backed out of doing as I got to the kitchen door, but then I noticed Rob, stood in the middle of the kitchen. He was stood against the counter, looking down at his phone, but his eyes quickly darted up when he saw me come into the kitchen. He looked a little surprised when he saw me, though his eyes quickly glanced at what I was wearing and it was that look that gave me the confidence to stop myself from running upstairs.

Everything tightened in response to that one look and I chewed absentmindedly on the edge of my bottom lip as I began to realise what an effect he had on me.

"You look…nice." He insisted awkwardly, keeping his eyes locked on mine as he complimented me.

I literally glowed in response, unable to help it. The way he said it…I could tell that he wasn't just saying it to compliment me and that he really did mean it.

There was a whole lot of stuff that I wanted to say to him, about how kind and funny he was and about how handsome he was too.

But instead, I decided to try humour and act as though I wasn't at all delighted with his compliments.

"Oh this…this is old," I lied confidently. ""But you don't look too bad yourself." I insisted with a sly smile.

He chuckled in response and I could tell that he didn't at all believe me, even though it was completely true.

"I thought you were going to bed."

I nodded. "Yeah, I was, but I felt like having a hot chocolate first." I confessed, moving into the kitchen before I even realised I was.

I always seemed to be pulled towards Rob, particularly now more than ever.

We had been getting on so well that it was impossible not to hope that it might lead to something more, whether or not there was any chance. He was a very special person and a lovely guy; there was no doubting that, so it was almost impossible not to be automatically drawn to him.

We sat talking at the kitchen table, whilst I drunk my hot chocolate, and even though we were talking about family and how much we both missed them, given how far away they were from the both of us, which was an important subject for me, I just couldn't help but stare at him as I sat next to him, realising how lucky it was when I had actually got the chance to meet him.

"I do think you get used to it after a while. _You'll_ get used to it after a while." He promised sweetly, after realising that I was missing my family.

I smiled in response. "It's just my Mum really, well…and my Dad too, of course. But in all honesty, me and my Dad are far too similar to each other to get on very well. We're okay in small doses, but other than that…" I joked. "But me and my Mum are very close; I miss talking to her the most. We talk all the time on Skype though, which is nice."

He smiled in response.

"I think it's nice to be away from your family sometimes though. I think it makes you miss them more sometimes, which makes it more pleasant when you do see them."

"I couldn't agree more." I smiled.

The more that we talked, the more I began to realise how similar we actually were. It was true that we came from totally different families and upbringings, but we still believed in the same things and values.

That was definitely an important thing for me and so it was nice to realise that this was one thing we had in common.

The more we talked, the more I was pulled towards him, and no matter how late it was getting, I just couldn't seem to find the words to say goodbye to him, not when we were getting along so well.

"Did you always want to be a writer?" Rob asked me suddenly, catching me off-guard at first, despite how I had always wanted to be a writer.

Ever since I could start to write, I had written stories basically every single day, getting lost in my imagination. It was just something that I'd always wanted to do.

"Yeah…I was always writing since I was very young. I loved just being able to think of new things to write about, and every day there was always something new that I thought _ooh that would make a good story_." I smiled. "How about you with acting?"

"I don't know about acting, but…yeah, I've always wanted to perform. I've always loved it; even singing. I used to love playing the guitar and singing, whether it was to a crowd or on my own. I know that sounds really sad…I never get the chance to play the guitar anymore. It's a shame really…I quite miss it. Although, of course I love acting too; I love being able to get the opportunity to play a new and interesting character as a career, to develop an interesting character as how I think they might have acted in reality."

I smiled in response, because that was exactly why I loved performing and I completely understood the feeling.

"It's the exhilaration of it, I think too." I smiled and he nodded in agreement. "That's why I loved performing in the West End too. Performing to a crowd…that's what I love. Nothing beats that feeling, especially with singing too."

"I couldn't agree more." He smiled. "I would love to hear you sing one day, when you're confident enough to. I've not heard you sing properly before and I have a feeling you're pretty amazing."

I flushed awkward in response, trying not to feel too proud of getting a compliment from Rob Pattinson, because although it meant a lot for him to say that to me, I wanted to try and not think about it. He was probably just being polite.

"Ahh, you're too sweet." I giggled in response, trying hard not to turn red in response to his compliment. "I've heard you sing before though you know…I think you're really amazing." I insisted.

He snickered in response, and I could tell he didn't believe that. "Thanks," he said anyway, brushing it off.

"No, I seriously mean it. I mean, I love that sort of voice anyway, which is why I love Van Morrison so much. I think he sings amazingly. But the way you sing, it's just so…passionate and uncontrolled. I love that; I love people who really get caught up in their music and the emotions in the lyrics and whenever you sing, you do exactly the same."

"Ah, I see…so passion is important to you then." He teased, smirking at me.

"Rob!" I joked, looking at him shocked. "You know what I mean though, right? Whenever I sing, I can't help but get lost within the spirit and the emotions and the lyrics of a song. I really do believe that's the best thing about singing."

He smiled in response, looking impressed by that. "I couldn't agree anymore. That's why I love singing as much as I do."

"Yeah, same here."

As we finished wiping up our cups, we both turned to each other, both looking as reluctant as each other to say goodnight, despite knowing it was time to do so.

"I guess…it's time to head up to bed then." I reluctantly announced, forcing the words out of my mouth.

He nodded once. "Yeah…it is getting pretty late." He agreed with the same reluctance.

I was stood beside him on the left side of the kitchen table, so with a heavy sigh; I slipped around him, trying hard not to notice the tantalising scent that followed him and the way my heartbeat faster in response to him standing close.

I froze in shock as I felt a warm hand brush against my earlobe as Rob gingerly tucked a strand of my hair behind my left ear. I shivered instantly before I could stop myself and fell into his touch.

That same spark was there and desire coursed through me at his touch.

I resisted the urge to close my eyes and give in completely, because I never wanted this moment to end, and I definitely wanted to make the most of it.

Instead, I chewed busily on the edge of my bottom lip, wishing desperately that it was someone else's teeth, his lips on mine…

I shivered again in response and forced a look back up at him, to see his reaction.

His hand was resting against my chin, as though he was resistant to pull away from me. His eyes were glowing under the kitchen light, desire sparkling within the bright green orbs and all it did was spur me on even further and make me want him even more.

He paused for a long moment, gauging my reaction, before he very slowly began to move in.

My heartbeat instantly quickened in response and I remained frozen under his gaze, desperately hoping he was going to do what I thought he was about to do…

"We're hooooooooooooooome!" I heard Rachael's voice call out from the hallway and we instantly pulled away from one another as soon as we heard her voice.

I finally felt as though I could breathe properly as soon as I had stepped away from him, and shock hit me as I realised that we had almost kissed. There was no denying that I yearned for him, for his touch, for his kiss, despite how I hadn't known him for very long. When there was a spark between two people, it was just there. I had felt it from the second we had met and I desperately wanted to kiss him.

He looked just as shocked as me as we broke away from one another and despite my reluctance to pull away from him, he seemed to realise that we needed space from one another without making it look too suspicious to the girls.

As soon as they had stepped into the kitchen, he put lots and lots of distance between us. He literally moved to the other side of the room and instantly, I missed being close to him. I started to feel really sick, knowing that I had almost kissed him for real as he looked as though he completely regretted it.

And seeing that look in his eyes literally made me physically sick as I could tell that he obviously hadn't wanted to kiss me at all and that I had probably just got the signals wrong somehow. It had all been just wishful thinking and with that in mind, I just wanted to disappear. I felt so humiliated.

So I listened to the girls saying about how much of a good night they had been having and quickly said my goodnights, after mentioning that Rob was staying the night. I knew they wouldn't mind as they liked Rob, and Kellan and Jackson were also planning to stay round the night too.

As I disappeared from the kitchen, I couldn't even look at Rob. I felt like such a complete idiot for even thinking that I had a chance with him, when I clearly didn't.


	8. Hospital

**Hospital**

When I woke up in the morning, I couldn't help but feel like a complete idiot for what had happened the previous night. I remembered absolutely everything, from coming back to the house early with Rob and then to almost kissing him, and the look on his face as soon as he started pulling away from me.

I knew he had probably still stayed over so he was probably still here, and a part of me, couldn't help but feel a little excited to see him again, despite us nearly kissing.

I realised it would be awkward between us this morning, as it was bound to be after last night, but I couldn't deny that I hoped he still had stayed round last night as I liked hanging around with him.

It was quite a cool day today so I put on a black tank top and some grey tracksuit bottoms, which I didn't think it looked too bad together and I didn't exactly want to look a state in front of Rob.

It was a lot cooler than it normally was today in Los Angeles and I knew I needed to go shopping at some point today, so I put my beanie hat aside, as well as my black leather jacket too.

As soon as I got down the stairs after having a nice warm, long shower, Rachael grinned at me from the kitchen.

"Well you're looking hot today babes." She teased playfully. "Going for the unique-look-as-I-know-that's-what-Rob-likes look today, I see." She added jokingly, making me roll my eyes in response.

"Shut up, Rachael!" I complained sourly, completely embarrassed by how she had pointed that out so quickly, despite it being completely wrong.

I headed into the kitchen anyway, taking in the smell of fresh pancakes as it wafted in the air in the kitchen.

"You two seemed pretty close last night," Rachael added in a nosy manner, as she flicked the kettle on.

I shrugged, trying to downplay it, as I didn't exactly want to gossip about it with Rachael when I was so unsure what really happened myself. He had definitely moved in to kiss me, but now I felt as though I had been the one to act stupid and not him.

"I guess so…" I agreed, trailing off awkwardly.

She poured me a cup of tea and gave it to me, raising her eyebrows in response. "So what happened?"

"Erm….well…I'm just really not sure to be honest. Well, I am, but…I don't know. I think he pretty much regretted it as soon as anything happened."

She nodded, staring at me in confusion. "Well tell me what happened honey."

So as I ate a pancake and drank my cup of tea, I explained about what happened last night with me and Rob and how he had nearly kissed me. And then how guilty he looked afterwards, as though he instantly regretted it, which he probably had.

She nodded, listening carefully to what I had to say.

"Well it sounds to me like he is still getting over Kristen babes. I don't think he would have regretted it because he wouldn't have tried to make a move on you if he wasn't interested in you and everyone has seen the way he's been looking at you over the last few days. Clearly, he's scared about what would happen if he lets himself move on from her, given that she did cheat on him too. He's probably just scared about getting hurt again."

"But I would never hurt him."

"And that's what he needs to figure out babes. Just talk to him and see what he says, because the only way you'll know for definite that he's not messing you about, is by talking to him yourself."

I nodded in response, knowing she was absolutely right. I was frightened about talking to him about this, because I hated talking about my feelings as it was, let alone get rejected for my troubles too.

Rachael left me alone in the kitchen to think about what he had said, and I was glad she had, as I needed to work out what I would say to Rob when I saw him, as it was bound to have been difficult when I spotted him.

"You're up early."

As soon as I heard his voice, I couldn't help but smile in response.

"As are you," I commented back as happily as I could.

But as soon as he headed over to the kettle to flick it on, I couldn't help but instantly feel nervous again.

His hair looked more dishevelled now than it did last night, from where he had slept on it in the night. He still had the same clothes from last night, I noted but he still looked really good in them, the same as he had last night.

He smiled sheepishly as he turned around and looked at me, and instantly my heartbeat quickened in response, before I could stop it. Damn heart.

"I know I'm wearing the same clothes as last night…I didn't have any spare with me. I've got my cap to sneak out with anyway." He grinned.

I shrugged carefree in response, not bothered by that. "It doesn't matter; you look nice anyway." I insisted.

He looked awkward now, and his forehead creased in anxiety as he looked down at the floor and ran his hand through the top of his hair.

"Erm…look, about last night-"

"It doesn't matter," I insisted with a forced smile, even though it did.

"No, no…I should explain." He insisted. "I was a bit…drunk last night, more-so than I actually realised." He admitted.

I couldn't help but feel a little surprised as I didn't think he had been drunk last night, but he obviously had been. He certainly hadn't acted like that and that almost kiss had felt like…well, as though it wasn't just the drink, but again….it must have been.

"Oh…well that makes sense." I nodded, despite how much I didn't want to admit it to myself.

Who was I actually kidding though? I should have known that it wasn't really because he had wanted to kiss me and that it had been nothing more than a mistake. I should have expected nothing less, as I always expected it to turn out like this anyway.

"Yeah…I'm really sorry." He apologised, looking genuinely guilty about what had happened last night, despite how much I had wanted it to happen.

"No, no, it's fine. I was a bit drunk last night too to be honest. I think that was probably why I danced with that loser." I lied, trying to laugh it off as much as possible.

He smiled awkwardly in response, looking as though he didn't exactly believe me when I said that, as it was obviously a lie. But he didn't say anything else thankfully.

The guys went home pretty early in the morning as they were all really busy with more work stuff, so I settled myself on the sofa and checked my emails to see if I had anything from the publishing company Rob gave me, but unfortunately, nothing.

I heard the phone ringing in the background, but I was too busy scanning Daily Mail online, seeing if there was any juicy gossip to read.

Tasha poked her head around the living room door, with the house phone in hand.

"Err…Charlie, it's for you."

I stared at her in confusion, and she whispered the words; "It's the producers from the Today Show. They were wondering if you were up for doing an interview on Saturday morning, about the new film."

I could only gape at her in shock, feeling certain that she must have been joking. "Are you serious?" I mouthed, unable to believe it was real.

She nodded, grinning at me as she passed the phone over.

"Hello," I asked nervously, trying to sound as confident as I could, though I realised that probably didn't come off like that.

"Hello is that Charlotte Higgins?" A man's voice asked.

"Uh huh, yeah, that's right." I said, not sure what else to say.

"Hey, it's Andrew Lloyd, I'm a producer from the Today Show and I was wondering if you were up for coming into the studio on Saturday morning to do an interview for us. We'll get a car for you to come and pick you up and drop you home too."

"Erm yeah, definitely, I'm up for that." I agreed, trying not to grin like an absolute idiot whilst I said this, as I was so excited now.

"Okay great, well we shall see you on Saturday morning then. We'll make sure the car picks you up at half eight, so you have time to come to the studio and get ready to come on."

"Okay brilliant, thank you very much."

"Thanks Charlotte."

As soon as I put the phone down, I squealed in shock and jumped up and down on the spot a few times, unable to believe that I was going to be on the show.

I told Tasha what they had said and she nodded in response, listening to me and looking impressed.

"Wow, go you Charlie, you'll be a major star soon enough." She grinned, making me giggle in response.

"Oh, I don't think so!" I insisted.

We spent the day indoors, just relaxing and taking it easy. Rachael was the one who definitely needed to take it easier right now, because of her pregnancy too, so we all rallied around her and made sure she was okay.

I left everyone downstairs to go and get showered as I had heard that Rob and Jackson were planning to come round. Kellan couldn't come round as he was busy and although Tasha was a bit gutted; she understood that he was busy.

I got changed back into my clothes before my shower and headed downstairs to see everyone, leaving my hair a little damp and curly.

Before I had even walked into the kitchen, I knew the guys were already there. Not only could I hear them chatting loudly, I could just tell Rob was already there. I could smell his fragrance in the hallway before I had even seen him.

Rob looked more casual than he had this morning.

He was wearing a plain white tee shirt, paired off with some light blue denim jeans, which made his bum, look very nice, I had to say.

I checked him out for a few minutes, taking in how strong and lean his back looked, and I couldn't help but smile a little as he turned around.

I fought it by biting down hard on my lower lip and smiled politely as I headed into the kitchen, trying to ignore the toe-curling way my stomach tightened in response as soon as I was in the same room with him.

His hair looked slicker this afternoon than it had this morning and looked more styled than it had when he had just got up this morning. He suited the casual look, and as soon as I looked at him, he literally took my breath away again.

He smiled back at me and I tried my hardest not to notice how such a small gesture affected me…even though it definitely did.

Everyone else moved into the living room, leaving me and Rob alone to talk.

I definitely wanted to tell him my exciting news about my invite to the Today Show on Saturday as I was so excited about it.

I flicked the kettle on and turned to face him, unable to keep myself from grinning at him.

"So I got a call from Andrew, one of the producers from the Today Show this morning…and they invited me to come along for an interview about the movie on Saturday."

"This Saturday?" Rob asked me, looking surprised.

"Uh hum," I nodded, unable to hold my excitement in. "I'm so excited…I mean, I haven't done many television interviews but it will be exciting to go on an American talk show too, get my name out there."

He nodded, looking impressed by that. "Well that's great…congratulations. It will be a good way to people to get to know more about…well, you basically."

I nodded in response. "I mean obviously America is completely different to the UK, and…I was just wondering how you handled your first proper interview over here?"

"I think you just have to be yourself. I know that's a really shit piece of advice right there, but it really is true." He laughed.

"No, I know what you mean, it's true." I smiled.

"Yeah…I think the important thing is to be honest and be yourself really. That's the main thing. They're bound to ask personal questions, whether or not they say it's just to ask you questions about the movie because they want to know about you too. Especially because you're probably quite a mystery to them as they've probably never really heard of you before. So just try not to be too nervous and keep them guessing a little bit when it comes to your personal life too, or else they'll think that they can constantly ask questions about your personal life, which you don't want."

I smirked in response, because this was one subject that he was an expert on.

"Get you, expert," I joked, making him laugh in response. "No but honestly, I appreciate you giving me advice, so thank you."

He smiled. "You're welcome…I know it's difficult, getting used to people wanting to interview you and things and I'm just glad I can help."

I heard a small scream come from the living room then, and Rob and I instantly turned to look at each other at the same time, worry written on both of our faces.

"What the…" I started, but trailed off quickly, as the shock wore off.

I quickly got up from my chair, running into the hallway, and hearing Rob follow me from just behind. I headed straight into the living room, where everyone was standing, crowded around Rachael who was stood in the middle of the room.

Everyone was talking amongst themselves and as I stepped closer, I could see Rachael had one hand pressed against her stomach, her face creased in worry.

"I think I'm bleeding…" I heard her say, making us all gasp in shock.

"What the hell happened?" I asked, in too much shock, more than anything else.

Everyone backed away a little, giving Rachael some room and I could clearly see that she was in pain.

"Rachael was just doing some exercises, as they were meant to help with the pregnancy with her back ache problem, and then she suddenly got this really excruciating pain in her stomach." Tasha explained.

Blaine was already stood beside her, telling her that everything would be fine, despite how it certainly didn't look that way…at least, not right now anyway.

"Has anyone called for an ambulance?" I asked desperately, as I wasn't the best person to have around at moments like these. I never knew what to say or what to do, but seeing Rachael in so much pain was awful.

"Yeah, I just rang them. They said they'd be here in ten minutes." Blaine announced before going back to make sure Rachael was okay and trying to keep her as calm as possible for the baby's sake.

I stood out of the way, watching them as they did, and really not sure what to do.

I was in complete and utter shock, and I felt as if I was actually watching something out of a movie, more than it actually happening in front of my eyes. It felt too bizarre and strange for it to be real as Rachael was always the strong one out of all of us, and so it just didn't seem real at all.

As the ambulance came to collect Rachael, everyone was talking about how they would get to the hospital to see that she was okay.

Blaine was going in the ambulance with Rachael, and Tasha, Kellan and Jackson were all going in a taxi.

"I'll take Charlie to the hospital if that makes it easier…I think she's in a bit of shock at the moment anyway." I heard Rob say from beside me, and everyone nodded in agreement, before rushing out the front door to get into the taxi, leaving me and Rob to lock up in a minute.

As soon as everyone was out of the front door, the house descended into silence and I stared out of the front window of the living room, staring out as everyone clambered into the taxi.

"Charlie…" Rob came to stand in front of me and I instantly looked back up at him, trying to ignore the way the closeness of him made my heart skip in response.

"I know you're scared and in shock because of how quick it happened…but Rachael's your best friend and she needs you."

I nodded in response, taking a deep breathe to try and calm myself.

He smiled in response, seeing that I wasn't in as much shock as before.

He put his cap on that he always wore and I followed him out the front door quickly, wanting to get to Rachael as quickly as possible now so that I could make sure she was okay for myself, because I was starting to feel really worried about her now.

I hoped to god anything didn't happen to her or the baby as I knew she had wanted a baby for ages, and it would have been horrible to lose the baby now when she worked in her own nursery and wanted nothing more than to finally have a child of her own with Blaine.

His car was a BMW Cabriolet and was in a sleek black colour. I knew the car make, as my Dad quite liked BMW cars.

"This is a BMW 325i Cabriolet." I said out-loud, following him over to where his car was parked, just besides the road.

He smirked in response. "I didn't know you knew cars…"

"I…well, I don't, not really anyway. But My Dad has a thing about BMW cars, so you ended up learning a lot about cars when he kept changing and upgrading them."

He laughed in response, unlocking the car so that we could get in.

His car smelt fresh, like jojoba oil, thanks to the freshener hanging up in his car and the inside of his car looked neat, though I realised that was probably because he had just shoved everything into the storage drawer in front or something.

"Yeah, my Dad used to import vintage cars from America to sell on, and obviously, when you're a sales representative, you need to know what you're talking about. So he basically knew everything there was to know about cars." He smiled.

I nodded in response, wondering what his Mum used to do. "What did you Mum do?"

He pulled away from the kerb and concentrated on driving for a moment, before replying to my question.

"Erm…she used to work for a modelling agency actually." He admitted, sounding a little surprised himself to admit that.

I smiled in response. "Wow, so she's obviously very pretty then."

"Yeah, yeah, she is." He smiled.

There was no doubt Rob was a really good driver; he concentrated when he was driving and didn't go either too crazy or too slow either, but then again, I guessed I was a bit bias too.

The hospital only took ten minutes to get to, but I was feeling really nervous about going into the hospital because I absolutely hated the place and I was frightened about what might happen with Rachael.

It must have been obvious that I was frightened for Rachael too, because as soon as Rob had managed to find a car space, he pulled in and paid for a ticket and waited for a moment.

"Hey," he said softly, leaning across and putting his hand on the edge of my leg.

As soon as he had, my breath caught in my throat, and I almost felt as though I couldn't actually breath. His hand brushed against my tracksuit bottoms, just above me knee, and even through my clothing, his hand felt really warm and really pleasant too, and a scorching hotness shot through me in response to his touch.

I could tell he wasn't really sure how to comfort me or what to say, which was why he still had his hand against my leg.

Either way, there was no doubt how much I liked it, even when I really, _really_ shouldn't.

"Are you okay?" He asked me softly, genuinely looking as though he was actually concerned about me.

I forced a nod. "I just…well, I don't like hospitals at all. And…obviously I'm worried about Rachael too…about her baby. She's always wanted a child."

He smiled sadly in response. "Whatever happens, she's got you and her friend, and Blaine too. I know it will be hard, but it will make it easier having everyone around her. And…I'll stay with you here anyway."

I smiled, feeling really gratified that he would stay with me at hospital. "Thank you, I…really appreciate that."

He smiled. "Right, well I know you hate hospitals but…we'd better go and see what's going on with Rach."

I nodded in response, knowing he was right.

As soon as his hand dropped from my leg, I felt cold and a little bare without him so close beside me.

I ignored such thoughts though, and climbed out of the car, shutting the door behind me. He locked the car back up and followed me as I walked into the main entrance of the hospital.

I headed straight to the reception desk who were all sat giggling as they noticed Rob following me over to the desk and I instantly felt sorry for him in response, given how he didn't exactly want anyone to know that he was here.

I just hoped they would keep quiet, especially if people found out he was with a girl.

"I'm looking for Rachael Rogers."

A blonde, young looking lady nodded in response. "She's upstairs on third floor, in the Harrington ward."

"Urr…okay, thanks," I smiled, looking round at Rob, who was stood beside me, keeping his head down and looking at the floor and trying to keep his face hidden underneath his cap.

I couldn't help but smile in response, feeling really sorry for him, because it was obvious that the nurses had already recognised him anyway.

"Hey, you're Robert Pattinson, aren't you?" The blonde asked him, already knowing it was.

He forced himself to lift his head and he smiled at her. "Yeah…err, yeah I am." He admitted, looking really sheepish about that.

"Could I get your signature? I've always wanted to meet you." She confessed; a glint of adoration with his eyes.

She eyed him up and down as she asked, and I couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy in response, wishing she would keep her eyes to herself.

"Yeah, of course…if you didn't mind keeping it to yourself that I was here though?" He asked, flashing her a smile.

I instantly grinned in response as she just stared at him in shock as she passed him a bit of paper and pen, because now I understood what I must have looked like, every time he smiled at me…mesmerized.

"Err sure, of course," she smiled, once she regained enough sense back to reply to him properly and I noticed him smiling in response to that as he handed her back the pen and paper.

"Well thank you very much, I appreciate that." He smiled kindly, before following me over to where the two lifts were.

He stepped in beside the lift with me and pressed the number three button on the wall, and we watched as the blonde lady eyed us the whole time before the doors of the lift shut.

I huffed in response then, now that we were alone.

"You do know that she probably won't keep her mouth shut, right?" I asked him, feeling confused about why he had believed her so easily for.

He shrugged, downplaying it, despite how I knew that he hated attention from the press and anyone finding out where he was.

"I knew she was going to whether or not I gave her my autograph. There comes a point when you just have to try and keep your head down and get on with your life, and not worry about the paparazzi constantly finding out where you are all the time."

I smiled in response. "Well yeah…I guess that is true. But what will you do if they actually come here looking for you?"

He shrugged. "Same thing I always do; put my head down and just get on with it. I'm used to all the rumours they come up with by now, since…becoming single." He confessed, not daring to say Kristen's name.

I frowned in response and quickly looked away, ignoring the tight knot in my stomach in response to how saddened he looked when he talked about not being with her. It was so obvious to everyone that he was still completely hung up on her and I couldn't help but feel a little gutted about that.

As soon as we stepped out onto the third floor though, I instantly felt anxious about Rachael once again and I suddenly desperately wanted to get to her again and make sure she was okay.

We followed the corridor to the ward, where everyone but Blaine was sat in the hallway, on some chairs, all looking just as anxious as me.

Tasha was crying though, and Kellan looked as though he was trying to comfort her, with his arm around her.

"What…what is going on?" I forced myself to ask, despite not really wanting to know, given how sad everyone looked.

Tasha finally stopped crying, wiped her eyes and looked up at me. "It's Rach…she lost the baby."

I stared at her in shock for what seemed like ages as she began to cry again, covering her face with her hand to try and stop everyone from seeing her cry.

I felt sick, I literally felt physically sick and I really didn't have a clue about what to do for the best. I wasn't good in situations like these, I never knew what to do or say for the best and I knew that me being here probably wasn't a very good idea. After all, what could I do exactly? I was useless in times like these.

Every bone in my body was begging me to run, to turn around and leave, because I doubted I was doing anyone any good by being here. I had no idea what to say, how to make it any better; especially for Rachael.

"I…I can't do this." I whispered and instantly, I turned around to leave, knowing that I wasn't strong enough to deal with this.

Before I could get to the end of the corridor though, Rob grabbed hold of my wrist, and I forced myself to turn and look at him, in shock.

"You're stronger than this," he promised me. "Rachael needs you, all of you here. You can handle this, I know you can." He insisted.

I wanted to tell him how wrong he was but then it didn't take me long to realise why he was saying that to me.

He was doing it because he wanted _me_ to believe in it, rather than just him. He wanted me to prove to him that I was strong enough and of course, I couldn't leave now. Not knowing I would let him down if I left.

He was right though. I needed to think of my best friend and not me and put her first. Rachael needed me, so I would just have to deal with it, despite how difficult I found these sort of situations.


	9. The Today Show

**The Today Show**

We stayed there all night, whilst the hospital kept an eye on Rachael and made sure she was well enough to come home.

The guys had stayed with us all night and Rob had kindly given me his jacket to pull around me as I slept.

His jacket smelt lush and smelt exactly like Rob and his glorious scent and there was no denying how lucky I felt that he had given it to me. I also felt really happy that Rob had stayed around because the long night at the hospital was made bearable because of him being here with me.

Rachael came home the morning after and I accepted Rob's offer to drive me home as there wasn't enough room in the taxi and being with him had made me feel a lot better about the whole situation at the hospital.

Luckily, there had been no paparazzi waiting outside the hospital either, which I was so happy about, as I hadn't wanted anyone to find out where Rob was, as he had only been there to look out for me, really.

The boys went home as soon as we had arrived home as they had things to sort out, leaving Blaine, Rachael and me alone at the house.

Rachael was devastated about the baby but she was desperately trying to keep her head up and look forward, despite how hard that was.

She was doing really, really well though and that was probably because of Blaine more than anything, as he was trying to really be there for her and do everything for her.

The weekend came really quickly and though I wasn't in the mood to do this television interview, I knew it had been planned and organised, so I had to do it.

I left at half eight in a car they had arranged, and when I got to the studios, somebody guided me to my own dressing gown and started doing my make-up for me.

They left my hair as it is, leaving my hair straight and down and kept my make-up to a minimum, which I was more than happy about.

I had put on a pink short sleeved blouse with red flowers, tucked into a brown, quirky looking leather skirt, and I had paired the quirky look off with some black and white converses.

I was so nervous about going out onto the show but I forced myself to get on with as my name was called out to go on.

The presenter was a pretty blonde lady, who looked around thirty and looked quite bubbly and chatty too.

She smiled politely as I headed over and came and sat on side of the sofa, beside where her desk was stood.

"Hello Charlie, it's lovely to finally meet you." She grinned politely, looking as enthusiastic as possible.

I smiled back. "It's great to be here."

"So obviously, I doubt many people will know who you are…so why don't you tell us a bit about yourself first?"

"Well, I played Christine from the Phantom of the Opera back in London for nine months and that was basically…well, my first serious acting experience, I suppose." I confessed.

She nodded in response. "Wow, so that must have been quite an experience."

"Yeah, I absolutely loved it. I've always enjoyed singing, acting and writing."

"So you're talented at a whole bunch of things then really." She smiled. "So I heard that you're still a student back in the UK, so tell me what made you want to move to LA for six months whilst you were on break and film over here?"

"Well I've always loved America, and Los Angeles was somewhere where I always wanted to go, ever since I was a little child."

"Was there any particular reason why you wanted to come to Los Angeles so much for?" She smiled.

"Urm…not really," I laughed awkwardly. "No, I just always thought it would be nice to visit here."

"Well, I have heard that you're a massive twilight fan and obviously, we all know most of the actors live in Los Angeles, so I was wondering if that played a part in your decision to come over to Los Angeles?"

I laughed in response, because despite how much I wanted to deny it, she was definitely right about that.

"Well maybe a little bit. I'm really not sure what I would do if I bumped into them though. I'd probably end up screaming or something stupid." I confessed, making her laugh in response.

"And obviously, the main star of the film, Robert Pattinson is also single now. If you bumped into him, do you think anything could happen between you two?"

_Pfft, I wish_.

I laughed in response, trying my best to laugh it off in response. "Oh no, I don't think so. For starters, he's about…six years older than me and like I say, I'm a real fan-girl, so I'd probably scream if I met him, which I'm sure would put him off."

"Now, I know in this film, you do get to film with Kellan Lutz, who obviously plays Emmet from Twilight. How was that?"

"Oh, it was a complete dream come true. He is a very hard working actor and he is very, very talented too. Working with him was such a pleasure, it really was. I really do feel so lucky to have been given the chance to work with him like I have."

"So what are your plans for the next few months whilst you're here in Los Angeles?"

"Urm…just really enjoy my time here really. Obviously, I'm going to be busy promoting the film too, so I'll look forward to that and just really try to make the most of it, whilst I can."

"Yeah, definitely, sounds good. Now, we were wondering, as we obviously don't know very much about you yet…have you got a boyfriend?"

"No, I haven't." I smiled.

"Ahh, so if you did meet anyone that you like, such as Robert Pattinson for example, then something could always happen?" She teased, grinning at me.

I laughed awkwardly in response, trying to brush it off as much as I possibly could. "I really don't think so. I'd be in too much shock about meeting him to think of anything like that."

She laughed. "Well it's been lovely talking to you Charlie, thank you very much for coming in to talk to us today."

"Thank you very much for having me." I grinned.

As soon as the interview was done and I was allowed to go, I hoped to god that everyone thought the interview was okay. The host had been really asking me questions about Rob and what I would do if I met him and it made me feel as though she suspected something or whatever and I really didn't want to let Rob down.

I knew he had a hard enough time with the paparazzi as it was, and I didn't want to make it any worse by anyone finding out about me knowing him, as there was nothing in it but I didn't want anyone to think that there was anything in it, because there wasn't.

I was sure I did okay though, or at least I hoped I did anyway, because nobody really knew me in America, and I desperately wanted to do well and be liked too.

It was weird stepping outside the studio because a few people were taking pictures of me, but I had my sunglasses on anyway, so it wasn't too bad.

It just felt so weird though, because all I wasn't sure why they were talking pictures of me when nobody really even knew me. I wasn't saying I disliked it though, but I wasn't here to be famous. I was here to be an actress because it was what I liked doing, and being famous was definitely the last thing I had in mind, especially after everything Rob had been through with the press before.

When I got home, I was just relieved to see what everyone thought of my interview as I knew that they would all be watching it.

As soon as I walked through the front door though, my breath was instantly stolen away from me.

Rob was stood in the hallway, looking as though he had been heading towards the living room, but he stopped instantly when he saw me, smiling my way.

He always looked so handsome, way too good looking for him to ever be truly real.

Every time he was away, I forgot how handsome he really was and it all felt like some weird dream, where I'd end up waking up and realising I hadn't met him at all and it had all been some weird, wonderful dream.

As soon as I saw him, my heart was stammering within my chest, threatening to burst out of my ribcage and a spark of desire ran through the whole of me.

He was wearing a plain blue vest and cream jeans, and even his hair looked neat again today but he still looked as handsome as he always did, and even when he smiled, he literally took my breath away again.

"How did you think the interview went?" I asked automatically, desperate to know what he thought.

He chuckled, clearly seeing how desperate I was to hear what he thought of my interview as his opinion mattered so much to me.

He ran his hand through the top of his hair and I bit down hard on my bottom lip like I normally did when I tried not to think about how actually hot it made him look.

"Yeah, I think you did well. I think you answered the questions well, and I think you dodged the more awkward ones pretty well too." He laughed. "They'd obviously been doing a bit of research about you before they interviewed you too, because she knew you were a twilight fan."

I nodded. "Yeah, I thought that too."

He smiled. "Yeah but honestly, I thought you handled the interview really well considering that that was your first interview."

"Thank you." I smiled back, because that meant a lot for him to say that to me.

If anything, I was just relieved that people thought that the interview had gone well, because I really had tried.


	10. Caught Out

**Caught Out**

We had managed to talk Rachael into going out clubbing about a month after she lost her baby and although she was still caught up about it all, she was willing to come out with us all and have a good time as we hadn't been out in ages properly and we knew it would take her mind off of things, even for just one night.

I provided Rachael with a make-over to make her feel confident on her night out, which she loved.

"Thank you babes," she smiled, pulling me into a hug.

I smiled in response, hugging her back, just glad that I could help in this way, as I wasn't very good at talking to her about things and I knew that that's what Tasha was best at. I was just good at trying to make the best of things.

I got dressed in a purple, sleeveless top, tucked into a short black, pencil style skirt, and paired the dress off with some black converses.

I left my hair to dry off, leaving it curly, and flicked it over my left shoulder. I also left my make-up simple, flicking out my eyelashes to give me the flirty look, before heading downstairs to see everyone.

Rob was going to be meeting us inside the VIP section of the club as he couldn't get there any earlier, as he had been ridiculously busy all month with work commitments and as I hadn't seen much of him, I was really looking forward to seeing him again.

I knew it sounded stupid but I had missed not seeing him, as it had almost been a month since I had last seen him and it didn't seem the same when he wasn't here.

Everyone else was in the kitchen though; Jackson, Kellan, Tasha and Rachael.

Blaine wasn't coming out with us as he was having a lad's night out somewhere, but Rachael didn't seem to really mind as Jackson was coming out with us anyway and it probably helped having the space away from him to take her mind off of losing the baby anyway.

I smiled nervously at everyone as I headed into the kitchen, seeing that everyone already had a drink in their hand and was having a laugh amongst themselves.

"Hello chick!" Tasha turned and grinned at me.

I smiled back in response, heading a little further into the kitchen and standing beside the kitchen table.

"Do you want some wine?" she asked me, grabbing a bottle of wine from the fridge. It wasn't Pinot Grigio, it was a Chardonnay wine, but that was still pretty lush.

I smiled and nodded in response, taking the bottle from her and pouring myself a glass before handing the bottle back to her.

I looked up and noticed everyone staring at me, instantly making me confused and really self-conscious.

I could feel my cheeks turning a light pink with embarrassment too.

"Whaaaat?" I asked hesitantly, trying to work out why everyone was looking at me for.

Kellan grinned at me. "We were all watching your interview with Ellen DeGeneres the other day. Proper little superstar in your own right now, aren't you?"

I rolled my eyes in response, as I didn't think that was quite true really.

I had done five interviews so far and u still didn't think as though I was getting the hang of doing the interviews.

It was also really strange, having people give a damn about you.

Whenever I went shopping or if I went a walk, by the time I was finished and ready to go home, people seemed to find out where I was and paparazzi would gather around me, asking questions and trying to find more about me.

I was a mystery to them, but I wasn't letting anything slip, though we had to be more careful when it came to going out with the guys.

Rachael rolled her eyes in response. "God, you're sad…that's definitely not why I was staring at her." She grinned. "I was staring at her because she looks hot tonight. It looks to me as though someone has put a real effort into getting Rob's attention tonight."

I huffed. "Don't be silly, Rachael. Just because I made an effort tonight, doesn't mean I'm doing it just to get Rob's attention."

She stared at me disbelievingly, stepping forward and closer to me. "What perfume have you got on?"

I held out my wrist with a heavy sigh so she could smell it and she raised both eyebrows in response, stepping away again.

"Trust me; she's definitely out to impress Rob. She's got on her Ghost perfume, and I clearly remember her telling me how her ex was like a dog on heat every single time he smelt that perfume."

"Rachael!" I complained sourly, not appreciating her embarrassing comments which were making me flush nervously in response. "Just because I like wearing this perfume, it does not mean…well, that I'm after any of that." I stated firmly, feeling my cheeks get hotter as I forced myself to say it.

She huffed at me sourly. "Yeah right…so if Rob made a move on you tonight, you're telling me you would say no to him?"

"Err…well; of course I would Rachael, as I don't really know him well enough yet to be honest." I told her firmly, though I couldn't deny I would have been very tempted if he did make a move on me. Not that I would admit that to Rachael though.

"Yeah, yeah, if you say so! You wouldn't get his clothes off quick enough-"

"Rachael, god!" Tasha complained, finally cutting in on her, as she could see me getting very, very flustered in response. "Just because you couldn't control yourself, doesn't mean Charlie, can't." Tasha reminded Rachael, before smiling at her, and I mouthed a thank you in response, relieved that she had cut in for me, given how badly Rachael was getting.

"Well Tash, you know me." She giggled happily in response.

Tasha rolled her eyes. "Well yeah, you've got that right."

We stayed at the house for a while and I ended up having the whole bottle of wine to myself as everyone didn't want to go out until ten.

I didn't really mind but there was no denying that I was excited to see Rob again as I hadn't seen him in ages. He couldn't meet us at the house as he had been so busy so he was going straight there, and he also didn't want to risk getting seen either, as I was starting to become more in the spotlight and could have easily jeopardized everyone's friendship with the guys.

We were lucky enough to get in straight away, and that was mainly because of Kellan and Jackson being there, and I was so glad as I didn't want to be stood outside with everyone recognising who they were as they would have likely to gone crazy when they saw them.

The club was loud and was absolutely heaving and I was so glad to get into the VIP area, as it was just too busy inside the club, and the VIP section was a lot less crowded too. Everyone seemed successful and not too bothered about Jackson and Kellan being here, which was even better.

I sat down with the girls and instantly began to look around for Rob as soon as I had, making Rachael roll her eyes in response, as Jackson and Kellan went over to the bar to get us all our drinks.

"Don't keep looking for him darling, it's starting to make you look a little desperate." She sniped, though really that was basically Rachael trying to be subtle about it.

"Rach!" Tasha complained beside her, clicking her tongue in response.

"I haven't really seen him this month at all remember, Rachael? Yes, so we're not together like that, but I still enjoy spending time with him."

She grinned. "Yeah, I bet you do."

I rolled my eyes and ignored that comment, because it was just like Rachael to lower the tone really.

However as soon as Rob walked through the door, I couldn't stop myself from grinning in response. My heart stammered loudly within my chest and my palms instantly turned a little moist from both panic and excitement at seeing him. It had been far too long since I had last seen him, which was why my reaction to him at first was so intense.

He looked just as gorgeous as he always did.

His hair was brushed back and wild from where he had been running his hands through it, and a strand of hair had fallen down onto his forehead. His eyes were radiant with laughter, and he was flashing his adorable, cheeky smile as he went over and said hello to Jackson and Kellan first.

He looked rugged this evening, and even with a slight beard, he looked way too hot for his own good.

He was even wearing nice clothes tonight.

He was wearing a smart grey suit, with a black shirt underneath, though it was quite a shame that the buttons were all done up tonight…

He was wearing grey trousers to match too, which fit his legs well, to show off how toned they were, though that was the only thing they showed off.

I sighed sadly, thinking what a shame it was that they didn't show anything else off…and then I realised how much I was turning into Rachael and quickly stopped myself.

"It looks to me like Rob might have been dressing up to impress you too." Rachael commented smugly, looking impressed with what he was wearing.

"You're so wrong," I laughed. "It just isn't like that with Rob."

She raised an eyebrow. "If you say so, darling." She grinned. "I have to say though, his clothes have got a hundred per cent better compared to a few years ago. He looked like a hairy tramp, with just one pair of clothes!"

"Rachael!" I complained sourly. "Just because you've got so many clothes that you can't keep up."

She shrugged. "Well, I guess you have a point. That's the one good thing about having a boyfriend." She grinned, making both me and Tasha laugh in response.

I decided to go to the bar to say hello to Rob instead, as he hadn't looked over here yet and I needed a top-up on my glass of wine anyway.

"I'm just going over to see Kellan and Jackson…well, and Rob, of course," I added with a shy grin, making Tasha and Rachael laugh. "I need a top-up on my drink anyway."

Rachael laughed again in response. "Yeah, yeah, any excuse."

I grinned back sheepishly, not really knowing what else to say to that, because the truth was, it was an excuse, and a rubbish one at that.

I got up from the table, trying to walk as confidently as I possibly could, which was difficult given how anxious I was to get over to see Rob again, and the fact that if he turned to look my way…all my confidence would have instantly gone.

And sure enough, as soon as he turned around to look at me, he stole my breath right out from my lungs.

I literally felt as though I couldn't breathe and instantly, my legs turned to useless jelly.

He took in what I was wearing and for a minute, I thought it might have been because he thought I looked nice, or at least that's what I hoped…

And then he quickly turned away from me, looking as though he was struggling with something or other.

I frowned in response, though as soon as he looked away from me, I was able to walk again, and so I quickly walked the remainder of the way to the bar, coming to stand next to Kellan, rather than Rob.

I smiled awkwardly at Kellan as I sat down next to him, and he grinned back in response.

"Hello trouble," he teased.

I laughed in response, thinking he might have gotten that wrong. "Urm…think you have that wrong. Rachael's the troubled one, remember?"

He smirked. "Hmm…I would say she's probably more of the filthy minded one."

"I could quite easily agree with that." Jackson perked up from beside Kellan, making us both laugh in response.

"Well, I guess you would know Jackson." I teased back, making him grin in response, before he could help it. "Well…I guess you're right about that then, Kellan."

"Good…what do you want anyway, trouble?" Kellan teased with that same cheeky grin of his, making me laugh again.

"Who says I want something? I could have quite easily just come over here to chat to my favourite male pals."

Jackson raised his eyebrows, fighting laughter. "_Male pals_?" He repeated, unimpressed.

"Meh," I shrugged. "I just made it up."

He laughed in response.

"One, you make us sound really gay or something, and though I don't have a problem with anyone who is gay, I'm certainly not that." Kellan complained, making me giggle.

"I'm sure Tasha could back you up on that." I teased with a grin.

He fought a smile, but otherwise ignored that comment anyway. "And two, everyone knows you'd be a lot more interested in sitting beside Rob and watching him all night, rather than being sat beside us two."

As soon as he mentioned Rob's name, I looked back to him, seeing him fiddling with his mobile, which was in one hand. He had his free hand shoved into the front of his hair and I could tell he looked really stressed.

I couldn't help but think it was about Kristen, because his face when he had seen me come over in the clothes I was wearing tonight…

As soon as he looked away, he looked as though he was thinking deeply about something, as though going back to a different moment in his life, maybe when he was a lot happier…

A tight ball of anger and jealousy flared up within me, so I quickly looked away again, trying not to dwell on it too much, despite how much it hurt.

"Well to be fair, I was coming over here to grab another glass of wine." I confessed, smiling sheepishly at Kellan.

Jackson and Kellan laughed in response, looking as though they had expected something like that.

"Well, I was almost right then," Kellan replied confidently, making me confused.

"About what exactly?"

"Well let's face it; Rob sat beside a bar providing alcohol…must be a perfect excuse for wine and a chance to ogle Rob." He teased, grinning at me.

I frowned in response, because the very mention of Rob's name at the minute only made that great big jealous ball flare up even more.

I instantly brushed away that thought, trying not to get caught up in it as it would only do me more pain than do me good.

"Yeah well on that note…I could do with another great big large glass of wine." I replied, trying not to sound as grumpy as I felt.

"What's up trouble?" Kellan teased, obviously noting I wasn't really in the mood, and I smiled awkwardly in response.

"It's…well, I'm sure it's nothing." I replied, not wanting to talk about it with Kellan, as I knew I would just sound ridiculous.

"You sure, bud? I don't mind listening to your problems, considering I've been quite lucky with not having any of my own right now." He grinned.

I rolled my eyes in response. "Lucky you."

He laughed heartily in response, before he was serious again. "No, but I mean it though…you can tell me."

"Thanks Kellan, but I have a feeling this might be something I need to work out myself, to be honest." I replied, as it was true.

I didn't want to confront the idea that he was still in love with her until I was definitely certain. And then if he was, then I knew exactly what I needed to do.

I needed time and space away from him, and I would have that when I went on tour with the rest of the cast of the film, in order to try and get over him; because it wasn't fair on me to keep lusting over him, when I absolutely had no chance in the world with him.

I stayed with them for a bit, ordering a couple of glasses of wine to drink whilst I sat talking with Jackson and Kellan and noticing just how stressed out Rob was starting to look.

He was on his phone constantly, and not really bothering to make conversation with anyone of us, and I realised he must have been talking to someone, as every so and then, his phone kept vibrating when it was on the bar.

A little while later, Rob looked round apologetically at us, and though I couldn't help but smile a little as soon as he turned to look at us, I fought it back, because I wasn't really in the mood.

"Guys err…I'm going to have to go, I think." He confessed, and instantly, a strange sort of dread filled me in response, though I had no idea why.

Kellan stared at him confused, trying to work out why.

"But Rob, you've only been here like…half an hour." Kellan reminded him, trying to work out why he was going for already.

Rob smiled sadly, clearly feeling guilty about it. "I know mate, I'm really sorry. But I'll definitely speak to you both in the week."

He looked towards me, and his expression was exactly the same as when he first noticed me coming over to sit with them. He looked a little hurt, for whatever reason that was, and a little guilty too.

I instantly looked away, taking a huge sip of my glass of wine and completely ignoring him, so that he didn't have to say goodbye to me. Truth was, I didn't really want to talk to him right now, as I was feeling stupid, insulted, hurt, jealous and upset.

And that was just all at the same time.

As soon as he was gone, Kellan turned round to look at me, looking a little confused.

"That thing that's bothering you…it's to do with Rob, isn't it?" He guessed correctly, obviously seeing something was going on.

I frowned in response, looking back over my shoulder to see if he had gone for definite.

He was just going through the back door of the VIP section as to not be noticed by any fans, and I couldn't help but sigh heavily as soon as he had left. A part of me already missed talking to him, especially as tonight hadn't exactly gone very well.

I turned back to Kellan, and was glad to see Jackson had now gone over to talk to Rachael and Tasha.

"Urm…yeah," I forced out, feeling really bad as I admitted that. I felt like I was gossiping about Rob and that made me feel really bad for talking about him behind his back like this.

Kellan looked a little surprised, as though he hadn't been expecting to be right about that.

"What's up then?" He asked with concern.

I sighed heavily again, but forced the words out anyway.

"It's just the way he looks at me sometimes…like…he's caught up on something, or still upset about something. And I'm not stupid; I know I look a bit like Kristen, with my dark hair and the way I dress sometimes. But I just have a feeling he's not over her."

"He finished with her three months ago, Charlie. It must have been just before you got here actually. I mean yeah, of course he's probably still a bit cut up about it as he was with her for about five and a half years, but everyone's seen the way he looks at you too. I really do think he likes you."

I shook my head, adamant that I was right about this. "Yeah, maybe he does Kellan, but then it might be for all the wrong reasons. I might be the next best thing to what he really wants. I know it sounds stupid, but you should have seen his face when I walked over here. I obviously must have reminded him of her."

Kellan sighed in response. "Look, I thought he was over her, he sounds as though he was to me whenever I talk to him. But the best person you can speak to is Rob, himself. He's the only person who can tell you what he wants."

I nodded in response, knowing that he was right, despite how much I hadn't wanted to have this chat.

"Why did he break up with her anyway?"

Kellan's face instantly turned more serious, and he shook his head in response. "It's not really my place to say."

I wondered if whatever had happened was serious and a part of me had to question if it was about more infidelity issues. It wouldn't have surprised me, because as far as everyone else saw it, she never exactly looked very in love with Rob. It all seemed to be him spurring the relationship on, and not her.

But I realised nobody knew what happened behind closed doors, so it wasn't really my place to judge.

I couldn't help but feel a bit down for most of the night, despite trying to have a good time at the club. I didn't want to ruin it for everyone else, so I really was trying not to let it bother me, as I knew it wasn't fair on everyone else who had come out to have a good time, especially as it was over something silly.

Kellan headed back over to us after ordering himself another beer, and he rolled his eyes as he got to our table, making us all confused about why he was doing that.

"Rob's only gone and left his phone here. I didn't realise until the bartender handed it to me." He admitted.

Rachael rolled her eyes in response. "God! Trust Rob to forget his bloody mobile. He was on it all night long so how he could have forgotten it, I have no idea." She complained sourly.

She turned to look at me, and turned to look towards me. "I thought he would have been more interested in talking to you though, to be honest." She pointed out.

I shrugged in response, trying not to look too bothered about it.

"He did say he was quite busy though, which was why he hadn't really been round lately." I replied, trying not to sound too bothered.

She nodded in response, leaving it as that and I realised instantly that I probably sounded annoyed.

We decided to go to the pub to finish off the night, as the VIP section of the club was getting louder.

The pub was quite quiet and was a good way to finish off the night, as beside what had happened with Rob, it had been an okay night.

It was crowded in the bar but nobody there seemed to be anyone who we recognised.

"So what do you reckon Blaine will be doing tonight, Rach?" Tasha asked Rachael, who was happily pouring some Margarita cocktail into her glass, straight from the pitcher.

"Probably just getting drunk with the lads, talking about boring old football, and which player's better and all that crap." She replied, rolling her eyes in response.

Tasha laughed in response. "Rachael! That's your sweet husband to be you're talking about!" She exclaimed, pretending to be in shock.

Rachael grinned. "Yes, and I'm sure he thinks all the things we talk about are boring too, so fair is fair."

Tasha laughed. "Well, I suppose you're right there."

Kellan was sat beside Tasha, and Jackson beside Rachael, but though Rachael and Jackson were both just friends, Kellan and Tasha seemed to be looking pretty close.

He had his arm laced round the back of her, and I couldn't help but smile when I caught Rachael grinning at Tasha in response, as it was obvious we both thought the same thing.

It was so cute and if they were getting closer, then I really did think it was sweet that they were happy and getting along.

"What are you grinning at Rachael?" Tasha pointed out, trying not to smile herself.

Rachael giggled, sounding a little like a silly school girl, and I couldn't help but laugh along in response.

"Just you two…you're looking pretty close tonight." Rachael pointed out confidently, just like she did with everything.

Tasha instantly flushed a little in response, and I grinned, thinking how cute it was that the two were obviously getting closer.

"Well not really…there's no space on your side of the booth." Tasha pointed out correctly, trying to downplay it.

Rachael grinned. "Whatever, I don't mind, I'm just happy that you're happy darling."

Tasha smiled back in response, still looking really embarrassed that Rachael had to point it out to everyone, just like she did with everything.

Tasha and Kellan went to the bar to order more drinks, but when they came back, it was obvious that something was wrong.

For starters, neither of them had drinks in their hand, which told us that they had obviously not ordered our drinks. And both Tasha and Kellan looked quite shocked too, and I instantly started panicking about what was wrong, which was instant reaction from me.

"Urm Rachael…where did you say you thought Blaine was going tonight earlier?"

"He mentioned going to Blackbell's pub across town, and then to Velvet Lounge…why sweetie?" She asked in confusion.

Tasha frowned in response. "Well either there's his twin over there at the bar, with a girl wrapped around his arm who looks exactly like you, or it's…Blaine."

Rachael instantly looked round, curious as to see if it was him. I followed her eyes and saw a guy who looked exactly like Blaine, laughing and talking to a blonde haired girl at the bar, and I had to admit that it definitely looked like him. Nobody could have looked exactly like him just like he did.

"Well, it's him alright." Rachael huffed, looking really shocked about that.

We continued staring at him, to see what he was doing exactly. And that was when he leant in and kissed the girl, full-on the lips.

We all gasped for a moment, not knowing what to do, because it was obviously him, and then I turned to look at Rachael, who I could tell was fuming, but was in just as much shock too…

And then it all kicked off.

"Right, that's fucking it. He's dead!" She exclaimed, getting up from the table, before any of us could stop her.

"Rach!" Tasha followed her over to the bar, as Rachael stormed off, but Rachael was far too quick for anyone.

I watched as she grabbed Blaine by his shirt, spinning him round on the spot and making him look at her. His face instantly turned to shock in response to her being there, and he looked as though he didn't expect her there.

"Rachael babe, what are you-"

"Don't you fucking call me babe!" She fumed, and Kellan instantly went running over as soon as saw Rachael put her hand up, ready to punch him.

He was too slow though, and I watched as she punched him in the face and I couldn't help but laugh a little in response, as she punched him straight in the nose, instantly making his nose start to bleed.

Kellan started to try and drag her away and calm her down, but she refused to let him.

"No Kellan, I'm nearly done," she warned him. "Me and you Blaine, we are bloody over! And if you think you can have your crappy engagement ring back, you can forget it. Might as well get some money out of all the crap you brought me!"

She turned away then, getting ready to leave with all of us, but Blaine tried to stop her again.

"Babes, please-"

"I'm not your fucking babe, leave me alone!" She shouted.

He tried to grab her again, but Kellan stopped him before he could, warning him to stay away from Rachael.

"Look…I don't think now's the time to try and explain." He warned him carefully, trying to stay calm.

I looked back to Jackson who had been watching it all, looking as though he wasn't sure of what to do for the best.

"Wow…someone should warn me not to get on the wrong side of her." He commented in surprise.

I smiled sadly in response. "Just don't cheat on her, and you'll be fine."

I got up from the table then, and went outside to see if Rachael was okay as I knew she would be deeply upset about this as she had loved Blaine loads and he had literally stamped in her heart and for no reason at all.

They had been together for so long but I guess moving to Los Angeles had changed some people in all the wrong ways.

Rachael was stood outside, just beside the front door of the pub, and she was literally shaking because of how angry she obviously was.

"Are you okay babes?" I asked with concern, knowing it was a stupid question, but not really knowing what else to say to her.

She was my best friend and I desperately wished to make it okay for her, but I knew that I couldn't.

She nodded, though I could see she was really upset about it all.

I pulled her into a hug, wishing to god that I could do something to make it better.

She started crying as we pulled away and I frowned in response as I wiped away her tears, trying to be there for her.

"I can't believe that he's actually gone and cheated on me, after all of them years together. And with some stupid blonde bimbo too! We'd been together for over eight years!" She cried in shock.

"I know babes," I sighed heavily in response, desperately trying to think of something to say. "You know…I know he's really hurt you, and you have every right to be mad with him, but it was just one kiss, so if you wanted to stay with him still then-"

"No absolutely not, he's got no chance! Whether it was one kiss or an affair. Why should I stay with someone who cheated on me for? I deserve better than that."

I nodded in response, because she was absolutely right. "I know honey, I didn't really say it because I meant it. I just know how much you love him."

She nodded in response. "Yeah, you're right, I do, but it's over. If he can get tempted and do it once, then he can do it again and again and again. It's not like we weren't having sex or anything like that. If anything, he was the one fighting me off. He's got no reason to want to cheat, so he's got no excuse at all."

I huffed. "Well fuck him then, Rachael. I'm sorry, because I know you've been through a lot together, but you can do a lot better than him."

She nodded in response, knowing that I was right.

We all headed back to the house then, and though I tried to comfort Rachael as much as I could, I wasn't very good with this sort of thing, so Tasha was the one to talk to Rachael and try to calm her down as she went upstairs and collected Blaine's things into bin bags.

Jackson, Kellan and me sat in the living room, not really sure what to do for the best. We sat in silence, listening to Tasha try and calm Rachael down upstairs.

Suddenly the doorbell went, and I looked towards Kellan, starting to panic, in case it was Blaine at the door.

"Oh god…what if it's Blaine? She'd kill him!" I stated in panic, knowing that she definitely would kill him if he dared come by this house again.

Kellan instantly got up, realising he was the best person to be able to hold her back from punching Blaine again, if it was him at the door.

As soon as Kellan was in the hallway, Rachael was running down the stairs. "Who the fuck is that at the door?" I heard her shout angrily.

I rolled my eyes.

"Just calm down, if it is Blaine. I know you'd probably want to punch him in the face and I don't blame you at all, but you'll end up regretting it later."

"Oh trust me, I won't regret it!"

I heard Kellan sigh heavily in response, but then I heard the door open too and I instantly got myself ready for another fight.

"Oh…hello mate, I wasn't expecting you again tonight." I heard Kellan say, instantly getting my attention.

"Err…yeah, sorry it's late…did I leave my phone in the pub?"

My heart instantly began to race as soon as I heard Rob's voice, though I tried desperately to ignore it, as all it did was made me feel stupid for feeling like it.

I heard Kellan laugh in response. "Yeah, you did mate. I've got it in my coat pocket, if you want to come in for a sec?"

"Yeah, okay…you okay Rachael?"

I couldn't help but laugh in response as I imagined Rachael's face as he turned to look at her, given how angry she was earlier.

"Oh yeah, I'm good. Just getting rid of my dickhead of a fiancée. We all caught him snogging some girl's face off at this pub we went to, after the club."

"You're joking! Oh god, I'm so sorry to hear that Rachael, he seemed really nice."

I smiled in response, because Rob genuinely sounded concerned for Rachael.

"Don't worry about it, he's done me a huge favour."

"Well yeah that's true, better to know now rather than if you'd have got married or whatever. I know how you feel right now though, so if you need anything…"

I smiled the whole time Rob said that, as it was just like him to offer some support to Rachael and I genuinely thought it was lovely of him to do.

"Thanks Rob, I appreciate that."

As soon as I heard Rachael run back upstairs, and nobody else speaking, I couldn't help but feel a little excited, wondering to myself on whether or not Rob would come into the living room. I couldn't stop it, whether or not it was wrong.

And as soon as he poked his head round the door, my heart felt as though it actually might have exploded within my chest.

My breath instantly hitched a little and I smiled in response, pleased to see him again, despite how he had ignored me all tonight.

He smiled nervously, and all it did was make him look even more attractive than before.

"I'm just going to er…check on Rachael, and make sure she's okay." Jackson said quickly, getting up from the sofa.

Rob moved out of the way of the doorway, coming further into the living room. He was wearing the same clothes from earlier tonight, but he still looked just as handsome as when I had first seen him, though his hair looked as though it had been thoroughly pulled on.

I wasn't too sure on what to say to him now, as he had sort of been ignoring me all night and it felt a little awkward between us because of that.

"Erm…so it's awful about Rachael, isn't it?"

I nodded in response. "Yeah, I can't believe he did it to her. I mean…yeah okay, so it was only one kiss, but that's not really the point. When you've been with someone for that long, you should have more respect for them."

He didn't say anything in response and I instantly looked back towards him. His forehead was creased in concentration as he looked towards the floor, and he looked just as hurt as he had this evening, as though he was desperately trying to get over something.

I smiled sadly in response, as I wished there was something I could do.

"You were ignoring me tonight." I announced it before I could stop myself, and as soon as he glanced up at me in surprise, I instantly regretted it.

He half smiled; a sad smile though.

"Urm…yeah, I guess I was. I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that. You didn't do anything wrong." He apologized quickly, looking as though he didn't want to go into details about what was wrong tonight.

So instead, I just nodded in response.

"That's fine," I insisted with a small smile, not really knowing what else I could say in response to that.

He didn't want to tell me what was wrong so what else could I say when I didn't exactly understand what was wrong.

He looked as though he was unsure for a moment, as though he was actually considering telling me more about what was wrong, but then the silence was quickly interrupted by a key in the door.

I instantly turned to look at Rob, and we both realised that wasn't good.

I headed out into the hallway behind Rob, feeling panicky about Blaine being here because if Rachael knew he was here, I knew for definite that she would kill him.

Blaine looked straight towards us as we stood in the hallway, and I had to admit he did look a mess, but he didn't exactly deserve any less for what he had done.

"Look, I just want to get my things."

"I think that's a bad idea." I said quickly, because if he didn't leave now then it was only going to end in tears. "You need to give Rachael some time, or else it won't be just your nose that gets broken."

He frowned in response, clearly unhappy with this idea.

"Can I not at least talk to Rachael before I go."

I was about to say no and explain that she really wasn't in the mood to talk to him right now, but I was beat to it.

"Well I guess it's a good thing you're here." I heard Rachael say from the top of the stairs.

I watched her come down, and instantly sighed in response. Her mascara had run a little and I could tell that she had been crying, which instantly made me worry about her. Blaine had once been her life and I realised that in the long run, this was going to tear her apart, especially after losing his baby too.

"Here's your things," As soon as she had gotten down the stairs, she threw the bin bags straight at him.

She stood in front of him as he collected his things, trying to keep a straight, poker face so that he didn't see how upset she was over what he had done.

He frowned in response, looking guilty as he looked back at her. "Rachael, I-"

"Keys," she interrupted him angrily, holding out her hand for him to put the keys back into her hand.

I had to admit he did look really guilty about what he had done, but he was the one who had done it. I agreed with Rachael for being so upset though because she had been with him for so many years so he should have respected her enough not to have done it in the first place, given how much he was meant to have loved her.

And so close to her losing the baby too.

I believe it to show so much disrespect to Rachael as his fiancée and his supposed love of his life.

He handed back his key and as soon as he had, she stepped away from him, as though she couldn't bear to be near him.

"Right…I don't want to ever see you again."

"Rachael please, baby, just think about-"

"Get out or I swear to god, I'll just throw you out!" She warned him angrily, trying not to lose her patience with him again.

He obviously must have realised that she needed him to go, so with a heavy sigh, he retrieved his things and quickly headed out the front door.

As soon as he was gone, Rachael broke down in tears and I instantly stepped forwards, and pressed my arms around her, trying to give her some comfort. I knew I wasn't very good with this sort of thing, but I really was trying to be there for Rachael as she hadn't deserved this to happen to her at all.

It just all seemed so unfair, especially after she had lost her baby.

Tasha came down the stairs and frowned sadly at Rachael, seeing her so upset. "Rach babes, I wish there was something we could do."

"Yeah," I agreed awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say.

Kellan and Jackson were stood beside Rob now, and all of them were looking just as awkward as how I was feeling.

"It will be okay though," I promised Rachael, despite realising that it probably wouldn't be okay for her again for a long, long time. "You have us."


	11. Birthday Present

**Birthday Present**

I had hoped that Rachael might have realised that she had a lucky escape with Jackson, given that she hadn't married him or had any children with him. I understood it was really difficult for her because she had been with him for such a long time and had loved him for such a long amount of time too.

She had thought Blaine was her soul mate, and then he had gone and cheated on her after all they had been through. From moving to Los Angeles, to Rachael losing their baby too.

Maybe it was a good thing, to be able to get to move on and start a fresh with someone new, someone who would respect her and love her, and wouldn't cheat on her.

But instead, she sat at home and wallowed, and no matter how many times me and Tasha tried to speak to her to try and get her to snap out of it, she wouldn't listen.

The only time she really perked up a little bit was when Jackson was around with the other guys and whenever they were round, we literally breathed a sigh of relief, to see even a little bit more happier than she had been.

So for that reason and the fact that they liked coming over here a lot anyway, they started to comer around more often, whenever they had any free time.

Of course I was glad as it also meant that I got to see a lot more of Rob, and although things weren't a hundred per cent okay between us still, it was a lot less awkward than before.

It was lucky that Rachael had hired enough care assistants at her nursery to look after it, as she really wasn't feeling up to going into work yet.

The time literally started to fly back quickly, and before I knew it, May came along and it was time to go on the tour with Kellan.

But as soon as I left LA, I couldn't wait to get back, not just because I missed spending time with Rob and liked hanging with him at home, but also by the time I got back, it would be the end of May, and my birthday on 6th June would come around quickly.

I would be twenty two years old and I was looking forward to celebrating it with everyone.

I did enjoy the tour as I was doing something that I loved, but I didn't exactly enjoy being the centre of attention in almost every country. It just wasn't my thing at all.

I preferred being at home and away from the attention and as soon as I got home, I could not wait to enjoy some time with everyone else, away from the limelight of the cameras.

I was getting more attention for my part in the film, so for my birthday, I didn't want to do anything too major, as I was so frightened about getting spotted with the guys and ruining things for everyone else.

I put on a plain, blue hoodie with jeans and headed downstairs for my birthday, as it was just me, Rachael and Tasha at the moment, as the guys hadn't come round yet.

I headed into the hallway, and headed into the living room, after hearing the television coming from there.

I poked my head around the door, to see the two of them sat on the sofa and they grinned instantly as they looked around at me.

"Happy birthday!" They both exclaimed at the same time, and I couldn't help but grin back in response, seeing how much effort Rachael was putting in at being happy, even though she clearly wasn't.

It was a nice morning though and I appreciated the thought more than anything else in the world, especially as I was missing my family so much.

Tasha gave me a lovely purple embroidered scarf and some adorable black cat ears. Rachael got me a pretty, pearl antique style ring.

"So what did you want to do for your birthday?" Rachael asked.

I shrugged in response, because I wasn't really too bothered. "To be honest, I'd rather just have the night in and have a party here."

Rachael groaned in response. "But it's your birthday!"

"Yeah, I know, but I'm getting recognised a lot more now and I just don't want to risk going anywhere with the guys and get caught. Rob gets recognised everywhere as it is, and now, it's starting to turn that way for me too."

Tasha nodded in response. "I guess that's fair enough really."

"And of course, it means you get more time with Rob too." Rachael smiled.

I grinned back in response. "Well exactly."

"Well, I'll give you a makeover so that you're ready for tonight and looking hot for when Rob comes over tonight with Kellan and Jackson." Rachael offered.

"Aww thank you, Rachael." I grinned in response as I really appreciated that.

I spent most of the day talking to my Mum and Dad on Skype and getting ready for tonight, wondering what to wear. I really wasn't sure what to wear so I got dressed in front of the girls to get their opinions on a few dresses.

In the end, I decided to wear a dress, with a black top, and rounded, strapless edge, which fit well to my waist. A black belt went around the middle, and the bottom half was a rounded, purple skirt.

I got showered, spending ages washing my hair and making myself smell nice for tonight. I put on my outfit as soon as I got out of the shower, putting on my Ghost perfume, and hoping for a better outcome from tonight than the last time I wore it.

I headed back into my bedroom, where Rachael was waiting patiently to make me look all pretty for tonight.

She smiled when she saw me enter my bedroom.

"You look lovely honey…and I have to say that dress makes your boobs look amazing. Rob won't know where to look!"

I flushed awkwardly in response from embarrassment to what she said, but I couldn't help but smile anyway.

"Well…that wasn't exactly what I was going for, but thank you Rachael." I smiled, as I didn't exactly mind Rob staring at my boobs, though...I'd have much rather have him wanting to stare everywhere at the same time.

I headed over to my mirror and took a seat at the dressing table, before turning to look back at Rachael who was smiling at me in response.

"How are you today?" I asked her, trying to be caring, as I knew she was still suffering, despite how much of a front she was putting on.

Her smile instantly dropped from her face, telling me that she wasn't exactly okay talking about it still.

"Hmm," she replied thoughtfully, thinking about that one carefully. "Well I'm better than I was at first anyway. I guess having the guys around here makes it quite a lot easier as I like having Jackson around as he makes me laugh." She confessed, sounding quite embarrassed to admit that.

I smiled in response, really happy to hear her say that because despite how embarrassed she was to admit that, I thought it was a good thing. If Jackson was helping Rachael move on from Blaine, then I could only think that was a good thing. Jackson was absolutely lovely and he had a kid of his own too. Rachael was brilliant with kids, which was good.

"Yeah, well I'm glad to hear that. Jackson is a lovely guy." I smiled, trying not to go too overboard as I knew she was just starting to get over Blaine.

She smiled though in response. "Yeah…yeah, he is." She agreed simply.

I left it as that, not wanting to put her off when she was only just starting to get okay again, as I wanted her to be happy again like she used to be.

Rachael curled my hair, so that it folded into loose knots so that it was wavy, and I couldn't help but smile as Rachael did it. She was so good with doing hair, and I had to admit it looked really lovely when she had finished doing it.

She left my make-up quite simple, knowing that it was exactly how I liked it.

She flicked out the edges of my eyelashes before putting on some light pink lipstick, to match with my eye shadow.

She even plucked my eyebrows so that they were looking very neat for tonight and I grinned in response.

"Thank you Rachael, I look amazing!" I smiled.

She smiled back at me in the mirror in response, happy that I was so impressed with my new makeover.

"I'm really glad you like it. If you go downstairs, chillax and grab a glass of wine, and wait until the others get here. I'm just going to get ready and then I'll come and join you." She smiled.

I nodded. "Okay. And thanks again, Rachael." I smiled.

I got downstairs and poured myself a glass of wine, about to head into the living room so that I could relax properly, when the doorbell rang.

I stared at the door in surprise for a few moments, given that it was only half five in the evening. I hadn't expected anyone to be coming round this early and instantly, I started to feel a little excited, in case it was Rob coming round to see me early.

I bounded over to the door, desperate to answer it, whilst desperately hoping that it was Rob who was around early to see me.

As soon as I peeled the door away, I grinned in response, pleased to see Rob stood outside the front door.

My legs melted like jelly and I used my free hand to press against the panel of the front door and try to catch the breath back that he had stolen away as soon as I set my eyes on him.

He looked absolutely gorgeous tonight.

His hair looked a little messy, from where he had been running his hand all through it, though it looked as though he had at least tried to style it the best he could. His hair always managed to look so nice though, no matter what he did with it.

I could tell he had recently shaven as he only had a little bit of stubble now, but he still looked ridiculously handsome.

He was wearing a smart grey shirt, with a dark violet tie, and a light grey suit, with trousers to match.

I couldn't help but just…stare.

His mouth turned up into a smile, instantly sending my heart into another flutter.

"Happy birthday," he remarked, and I shivered a little bit in response, just to the sound of his voice.

My god, he really did have a crazy effect on me.

"Erm…yeah, thank you." I stuttered awkwardly, making him chuckle slightly in response.

"How old are you anyway…out of curiosity?" He asked.

"I'm officially twenty two." I replied with a smile.

He grinned back. "Officially, of course." He repeated.

I suddenly noticed that he had a white bag in his hand, and I looked towards him suspiciously, hoping he hadn't brought me anything.

"That better be something for you to drink tonight." I warned him, making him smile in response.

"Erm…no," he replied awkwardly, running a hand through the top of his hair. He held out the plastic, gift bag with a smile. "It's for you actually."

"Ahh…you really shouldn't have, you know. I technically did forget your birthday last month as I was on tour."

He shrugged. "Yeah but to be fair, you were on tour. And anyway, I don't give to receive…that didn't sound right at all." He laughed nervously.

I laughed in response, because the truth was, it really didn't, not in the way he put it. "Yeah…it kind of didn't."

"But you know what I mean though."

"Yeah," I smiled. "Anyway…do you want to come in?" I offered, holding the door out for him to come in.

He nodded, and slid past me in the doorway.

I sighed quietly in response, breathing in that wonderful scent that belonged to him. it was ridiculous, just how good he smelt.

I headed into the kitchen with him, and he turned back to me.

"You erm…you look really lovely by the way." He smiled awkwardly.

I stared at him in surprise for a few moments because he didn't normally compliment me on the things I wore and he didn't really seem to notice when I dressed up, but I could tell he meant what he had said.

I smiled back in response. Maybe this trip away from him and had done us both good. I had definitely missed him during my time apart from him and maybe he had done the same. Just maybe.

"Oh, erm…thank you, so do you. Grey seems to bring out the green in your eyes more." I pointed out and I instantly regretted it.

I flushed heavily in response as he stared at me in surprise, as though he wasn't expecting me to say such a thing to him, or pick up on such a thing. I felt like such an idiot in slipping up and saying something like that to him.

"God, that sounds so bad. I just meant-"

"No, it doesn't…I know what you mean. Thank you." He interrupted quickly, before I could get myself more embarrassed.

I looked down at my black, pointed heels, not knowing where else to look now.

"Anyway, erm…here's your present."

I looked up at him as he handed me the gift bag, an unsure smile on his face as he did.

I smiled back, looking down wary at the bag and wondering if I was allowed to open my present now, whilst he was here.

"Can I err…can I open it now?" I asked hopefully.

He chuckled in response, running his hand through the top of his hair and I instantly realised I must have sounded so stupid.

"Yeah, of course," he smiled.

I tried not to give away my enthusiasm to find out what it was by opening the bag carefully and slowly. Inside the bag was a black box, and after pushing the bag onto the side, I opened the box carefully.

I gasped a little in response as I looked down at the stunning necklace in front of me.

It came on a silver, linked chain, with a crystal teardrop pendant on the end of it, with one black pearl bead hanging from beside it, and on the other side a cream peal bead hanging down.

It was a simple necklace, but it was perfect the way it is. Dainty and simple, which was definitely what I preferred.

"Oh, wow, it's…it's really lovely. It's so pretty…and my birthstone too." I smiled at him as I began to get it out from its box.

He grinned in response, pleased that I liked it. "Do you really like it?" He asked me.

"Yeah, it's absolutely lovely. It's such a pretty necklace…thank you."

Once I got it out from the box, I undid the necklace and turned to Rob and smiled shyly. "Did you erm…mind putting it on for me? I want to wear it now." I admitted with a grin, and I could see that he was delighted that I already wanted to wear it now.

"Yeah, of course," he insisted, heading over to me and standing behind me.

He took the necklace from me and began to put it round my neck as I brushed my hair round to one shoulder.

As he did up the necklace, his fingers brushed against the back of my neck, and my legs instantly wobbled in response.

The slightest touch of his skin against mine made my skin sizzle with heat and a deep intense feeling burned within me.

He must have noticed the feeling too, felt it in some way, as his hands shook a little as he did up my necklace and I was more than glad that it wasn't just me.

"There," he commented and I couldn't help but shiver in delight as I picked up on the rough edge of his voice.

There was no doubt in my mind that he was just as affected as I was at that point, and despite how much I wanted to turn around and see for myself, I felt as though my feet were stuck to the ground.

The truth was…I wasn't really sure what to do at that moment either. I wasn't very good at any of this, at knowing what to do when this sort of thing happened.

Then of course, Rachael had to bound down the stairs and straight into the hallway, making everything more awkward.

She grinned at me as she turned to look at me, before her eyes fell on the necklace around my neck.

"Wow, that's….gorgeous honey. Did Rob buy it for you?"

I nodded in response, still not able to move my feet from where I was, stuck rooted to the ground.

"Then you're a very lucky lady." She grinned, clearly enjoying making me feel awkward. "She looks lovely tonight Rob, doesn't she?" She asked, turning her head to look towards Rob.

"Yeah…yeah, she does." I heard him say, sounding just as awkward as how I felt.

I sat with Rob at the kitchen table whilst Rachael and Tasha continued to get ready upstairs, and I couldn't help but smile to myself as I sat and thought to myself how I was actually sat across from Robert Pattinson.

My dream had finally come true.

His forehead creased in confusion as he stared back at me, looking worried about what I was smiling about.

"What?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something stupid," I confessed, laughing awkwardly.

I could see from his face that he wanted to know what I was thinking about, so I forced myself to admit it out loud.

"I was just thinking about how strange things are sometimes. I wouldn't have imagined I would be sitting here with you now, just talking about normal things. I know that sounds really stupid but I just never expected this to actually come true one day. I'd always wanted to move out here but a part of me never expected it to actually happen."

He smiled in response, looking amused by my confession, and I instantly felt even more embarrassed than before.

"Well technically, you're going back to England in three months…not to break your bubble or anything as I'm sure you will hurry back as soon as you have your degree." He grinned, realising he was right.

I grinned back in response, nodding in agreement.

"You've got that right," I giggled helplessly. "You can't get rid of me that easily. Not now that I realise how much I want to stay here as soon as I get my degree."

He grinned in response. "It's lucky that things seem to be going so well for you already then." He replied, sounding genuinely happy about that.

I smiled back in response, because I genuinely wanted to move out of here after getting my degree, and I could definitely see it happening. It also made me feel very happy to know that he sounded happy that I was planning to come back.

Kellan and Jackson arrived then and they instantly headed into the kitchen to come and see me. Kellan was grinning at me and he looked rather smug with himself, which left me wondering why that was.

Jackson smiled shyly at me as he followed him into the kitchen, and both of them turned to look at me.

"Happy birthday!" Kellan grinned.

"Yeah, happy birthday Charlie." Jackson smiled and I smiled back in response.

"Thank you guys," I smiled, before they both handed me a gift bag, surprising me. "Oh! Are these for me?" I asked in shock, as I genuinely hadn't expected anything from them.

"No, we just thought we'd give you to them for the sake of it and then snatch it back from you." Kellan replied sarcastically, and I pretended to glare at him.

"Somebody's narky today!" I teased jokingly.

He grinned. "Somebody's stupid today." He joked back.

I huffed in response. "Pfft…I don't want your presents now." I joked.

He laughed in response. "Give us it back then."

I laughed back. "Only joking!"

Kellan brought me some fluffy ugg style boots for me to wear and as soon I unwrapped them, I put them on and I was so glad I had. They felt so comfy and warm on my feet. Jackson brought me a bottle of my favourite Pinot Grigio wine, and I instantly had a glass of that too, as I had already got through a bottle of wine.

Both had been really thoughtful presents and I had both thanked them at least three times, to which Kellan had rolled his eyes in response.

We all moved into the living room to sit down on the sofa then, now that everyone was dressed and ready for tonight.

There wasn't quite enough seats for me or Rob so we ended up sitting on the floor, beside where everyone else was sat, but I didn't mind at all really.

Rachael looked nice in a sequined party dress, matched with black heels and I couldn't help but smile as I noticed Jackson's face when she walked into the living room. Of course she didn't notice as she wouldn't really, not when she was still getting over Jackson.

But I couldn't help but think that things were slotting in place nicely.

Even Kellan and Tasha looked pretty close tonight and as soon as she sat down, he took a seat next to her, putting his arm behind her and sitting close.

They really did look like such a cute couple and I could see for myself that Tasha looked as though she really was very happy. I was so glad as she really did deserve to be happy. She was a lovely girl.

And she had lost so much weight since moving here too, so that was obviously boosting her confidence a lot too.

"Right…I was thinking girls," Rachael confirmed, instantly making me and Tasha groan in response.

We knew what her _thinking_ meant all too well and I wasn't sure I wanted to hear it.

She stared at both of us in shock, as though she didn't know what was up with us. "What! I was just going to say that I think we should play dares tonight to liven it up a bit! Well truth or dares actually; whatever you fancy." She grinned.

Tasha laughed in response. "Well I guess we could, but just as long as you don't try and get us all to do something too risqué. I know exactly what you're like Rachael!"

Rachael stared at her in shock, pretending to be offended. "I'll have you know darling, I'm perfectly well behaved!"

"Pfft! I think I can hear bullshit!" Tasha confirmed, making me howl with laughter in response to that.

So despite how much of a bad feeling I had about this, I reluctantly agreed to take part in truth or dare.

Rachael grabbed an empty coca cola bottle and put it in the middle of where we were sat, as all of us were sat on the floor now.

She then spun the bottle and it landed on Kellan.

She turned to Kellan, grinning eagerly in response.

"Truth or dare?" She asked him innocently.

"Err…truth," he smiled.

Rachael grinned excitedly in response, clapping her hands eagerly together. "I dare you to….kiss Tasha!"

Tasha instantly groaned in response, clearly embarrassed about the idea of Kellan kissing her. "Rachael, no, we can't just kiss in front of everyone!"

But Kellan was already up on his feet and moved towards where Tasha was sat. He gave her his hand to hold and she took it, with a shy smile, letting him pull her up.

And then he kissed her.

Kellan was getting far too into it if you asked me, and I had to look away, as Tasha couldn't quite seem to say no to Kellan. Though, I had to admit, I knew what that was like…

I turned to look at Rob who was smiling just as awkwardly as me. He ran his hand through his hair and leaned in closer to me to speak.

"Is it just me, or is it a little awkward?"

I nodded, giggling in response. "Urm…yeah…just a bit."

He smiled, pulling away from me slowly.

I couldn't help but sigh heavily in response, wishing that he didn't have to pull away from me, despite how wrong that was. I liked being close to him and there was no denying that he always smelt amazing.

When the bottle landed on me, I couldn't help but sigh heavily in response, because I knew whatever Rachael had planned it wouldn't be good, whether or not I picked truth or dare.

Rachael grinned at me, looking rather pleased with herself. Of course I was glad she was enjoying herself but I didn't appreciate her embarrassing me in the process.

"Truth," I announced, before she could even ask me.

She giggled in response and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh this is an easy one," she confirmed with a shrug. "Do you…fancy Rob!"

As soon as she asked me that, I could feel my cheeks turn a hot burning shade of dark red in response. I didn't know where to look at all and it made it worse knowing that Rob was staring at me in the corner of my eyes, because I really didn't know what to say!

Of course I fancied Rob, because I mean, how could I not? He was hot, he seemed really sweet and there was no denying how attracted to him I was.

"Urm…" I stammered awkwardly, really not knowing what to say or where to look. I decided to look at the floor whilst I spoke, as that was easier than looking at four pairs of curious eyes who were all on me.

"Well, I wouldn't say fancy…but…well of course I like him. I mean who wouldn't? He's erm…very good looking." I stammered awkwardly.

Rachael huffed in response. "Well no offence Rob, but to answer Charlie's question, I wouldn't. Again…no offence." She grinned at Rob.

I heard him chuckle beside me, but I could still feel his eyes on me, making my cheeks continuously stain with deep red.

"None taken Rachael."

I was relieved when the bottle was spun again as it took the heat off of me and everyone was already looking forward to the next truth or dare, whatever it would be.

However, being that there wasn't too many of us around the house, it was a bit difficult to do many truth or dares, but when the bottle landed on Rob, I instantly started to panic.

He chuckled darkly to himself, sounding as though he was dreading whatever Rachael was going to make him do or say. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily, peering at Rachael wand waiting patiently for whatever it was she was going to get him to do.

"Oh Rob," Rachael pretended to sigh heavily, though she couldn't quite hold back her childish giggle.

Rob sighed just as heavily as Rachael, though I could definitely tell that his sigh was real. "Oh Rachael." He repeated, instantly making her laugh again in response.

"Rachael, don't be too mean." Tasha complained beside Kellan, trying to be nice. She turned towards Rob and smiled, seeing that he was getting embarrassed.

"Yeah, you know what Rob's like." Kellan teased too, turning to grin cheekily at Rob, who rolled his eyes.

"Cheers Kellan, you're meant to be sticking up for me here!"

"Meh, I'll leave that to Jackson to do." Kellan smirked at Jackson as he squirmed in his seat in response, now that Kellan had sneakily turned the attention to him.

Finally, he just shrugged in response. "Look, you know what Rachael's like."

She giggled playfully in response, wiggling her eyebrows at Jackson. "Oh babes, you haven't seen anything yet."

He grinned in response, a cheeky gleam in his eyes.

"Get on with it Rachael!" Tasha whined playfully.

"Alright, alright!" Rachael complained, forcing her eyes away from Jackson and back to Rob, instantly grinning at him. "Truth or dare?"

"Erm dare…no wait! Actually, truth!" He tried, though I could tell by the look on Rachael's face that it was too late to change his mind.

"Nope…you said it now!"

Rob groaned in response, running his hand through the top of his hair as he waited for whatever Rachael had to say.

"Listen sweetie, it really isn't that bad actually." Rachael smiled sweetly at him, making him huff in response.

"Yeah right!" He complained, and I couldn't help but giggle from beside him, as he looked so mortified about whatever it could be.

"No honestly, I swear," Rachael continued to smile. "I dare you to…do a shot of tequila."

Rob's face was a picture as soon as he had heard her say that and I smiled in response as he stared at her in surprise, looking pleased with that.

"Oh…actually that really isn't bad at all. Not for you Rachael." He grinned, looking really relieved.

I had to admit that even I was relieved to hear that she was just daring him to take a shot as I really did think she would make him do something that involved me, and anything that she dared us to do in front of the group, well…it was hard enough trying to control myself around Rob as it was.

She grinned in response, but then quickly added. "Oh, and before you do the shot, you have to lick the salt off of Charlie's neck too."

As soon as she said that, I stared up at her in shock, trying to work out if she was actually being serious.

I could tell she definitely was and as soon as I realised that, my cheeks instantly flared up with bright red and I began to feel really hot and flustered. I couldn't do this! I mean, was she actually joking?

I could barely stand being in the same room with Rob without wanting to actually rip his shirt off sometimes, so how the hell was I supposed to let him lick the salt off of my neck without completely losing it?

It was silent for ages in the living room, or at least, it felt like it had been silent for ages, but I was too afraid to take my eyes off of Rachael and look back at Rob and see how flustered he was probably getting.

"Rachael," Rob finally spoke, sounding just as nervous as me about this. "You can't actually be serious."

She nodded, only smiling slightly to show that she was definitely being serious. "I'm deadly serious actually. Trust me, I've done a lot worse sweetie. Once, when I was at a party, my ex-boyfriend had come round for my birthday and we were doing body shots, where he had to lick the salt off of my stomach. So trust me, it could be a lot worse, but then…I know if I was to make you do that, then you two probably wouldn't be able to control-"

"Okay Rachael, we get the idea!" Tasha quickly interrupted her, seeing just how bright my face was turning. She smiled apologetically at me, before turning back to look at Rachael. "Trust you to have done that Rachael, and that's all…well, lovely and everything, but this is Rob and Charlie, so I doubt that either of them have really done that before."

"Well yes exactly and you only live once, so why not do it now?" Rachael grinned mischievously at the both of us, making me roll my eyes in response.

I heard Rob sigh heavily beside me. "You're not going to let it drop until I do it, are you?" He asked her knowingly, knowing he was exactly right.

She grinned. "Nope…call it an extra birthday present for Charlie." She insisted.

I heard Rob huff in response from beside me, not sounding too pleased, but as soon as I heard him shuffle from beside me, I forced myself to look up at him in shock, seeing him slowly start to make his way over to me.

He looked just as flustered as me, but he looked more determined to just get on with it, which surprised me a little.

He smiled shyly at me. "You know she won't give up until we do it, and do you really want a grumpy Rachael for the remainder of your stay?" He guessed correctly, obviously already knowing her too well.

"He's dead right too!" Rachael warned me from beside Jackson, making me roll my eyes again at her.

Great, so I didn't have much choice then.

Rachael poured the shot and left it in the middle of the floor, for Rob to get after he licked the salt.

I was feeling really self-conscious with everyone's eyes on me because I knew I would never be able to control myself with Rob's mouth on my neck. It was something I couldn't deny I'd always wanted but not like this.

It felt more…intimate in a way, rather than just getting on with it and snogging him or something.

It sounded really stupid but I always believed kissing someone's neck was far more intimate and I couldn't deny that neck kissing was definitely a turn-on point for me as it always had been, so I didn't believe for one second I could control myself.

I flicked my hair over the other shoulder and grabbed the salt, my hands already shaking as I poured a little bit onto my left neck, as Rob had already sat himself on the left of where I was sat, so that when he licked the salt, my face was turned away from the group.

I guess that was something then.

Rob looked just as unsure as me as he began to lean in, and I froze a little as his scent began to hit me.

God, why did he have to always smell so good too!

He pressed a hand to the side of my waist and I could tell he wasn't really sure what to do, which made two of us.

Even his hand resting on my hip, through my dress made my body feel alive, as though desire coursed through every single bone in my body through that one touch.

As soon as his mouth touched my neck, I gasped a little in response. I bit down hard on my bottom lip, fighting the urge to groan because of how good it felt. God, it was so good to finally enjoy his touch, to give in, even if it was just for a dare.

His mouth was like sweet, hot fire, burning my skin with his delectable mouth and making me come alive with desire.

My hands slid upwards on their own accord, pressing to his strong, lean shoulders as I fought not to moan far too loudly as his mouth sucked on a particular sensitive spot. I chewed on my bottom lip desperately, ignoring the salty taste of blood as I bit down too hard on my lip in desperation to keep myself quiet.

His sweet kisses were a lot more amazing than I could have ever imagined for myself, and as his mouth began to turn more urgent on my skin, a tight fisted knot balled up into my stomach, sending a hot thrill of desire through the whole of me.

And then, all too soon, it was over.

My fingers lingered on his shoulders, clenching around the fabric of his suit without me realising it, as though I was desperate not to let him go yet.

What made it worse too was that, as he pulled away, the desire I knew was written in my eyes was completely reflected in his.

I'd never seen his grey eyes look that intense before and they literally smouldered with raw, intense desire as he forced himself to pull away slowly from me.

He kept his eyes on me the whole time as he reached out and grabbed the shot, knocking it back quickly.

He took his eyes off from me then, forcing myself to look away from him too, and stare awkwardly at the floor too as he quickly sucked on the piece of lemon too.

"Well looks like you enjoyed yourself there, Rob!" I heard Rachael exclaim with glee, sounding dead proud of herself that she had made us do it. "I'm pretty sure you would have regretted not doing that dare."

My cheeks were literally burning in embarrassment and I desperately wished that somebody, anybody would change the subject onto whatever, anything but this.

"Yes, yes, Rach, clever you! I don't think we could actually do any more truth or dares, given that there's only us five here." Tasha pointed out, quickly changing the subject.

I heard Rachael groan in annoyance and I finally had enough confidence to look up at her to see her frowning miserably.

"Oh, fine!" She whined, agreeing to what Tasha had suggested.

Tasha smiled in response, watching Rachael get up from the floor and head out into the hallway, where Rachael grinned again in response.

"Ooh, we've got post!" She revealed excitedly, running to the front door to collect whatever had fallen through the letterbox.

I turned to look at Tasha in confusion, wondering what we could possibly get late at night through the door, given that the post always came in the mornings, and never any later than twelve midday.

Well, we sound found out…

Rachael literally screamed in the hallway, though it was an angry, disbelief sound that reflected through most of the house.

"What on earth!" Tasha huffed, quickly getting up from the floor and making a start towards the door. "What the hell is wrong with you girl!" I heard her complain as she went out to see if Rachael was okay.

"THAT FUCKING DICKHEAD HAS SENT ME A LETTER!" I heard her shout angrily, the disbelief completely obvious in her voice.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed, before I could stop it from coming out. I clapped a hand over my mouth in shock, not really believing that Blaine had had the nerve to actually send Rachael letter, after all he had done to her as it was.

"You must be fucking joking, Rachael!" I heard Tasha exclaim from the hallway. "Saying what exactly? Sorry I snogged someone else's face off in front of you babes, but I still love you?" Tasha asked sarcastically.

"Pretty much," Rachael huffed sourly.

Jackson got up from the floor then; looking really uncomfortable and I could tell that he obviously felt like he needed to say something to Rachael as he quickly headed out into the hallway to see her.

I smiled awkwardly at Kellan, who was sat opposite me, looking as though he wasn't exactly sure what to do.

"This letter is complete crap Rachael! You should burn the thing and be done with it, because he's only saying all that shit to try and get back into your good books again. You don't need him anymore Rachael; you've had a lucky escape." I heard Tasha say to try to comfort Rachael.

"Yeah Tasha's right, Rach," I heard Jackson agree. "I know you're still hurt about it all now, but he obviously doesn't deserve you."

"Yeah, but it's just not exactly fair, is it? Sending me letters and making me upset again, when he was the one who snogged someone else." I heard Rachael say, sounding really upset about that, as though she was almost crying.

Kellan sighed heavily in response, getting up from where he was sat on the floor to go and speak to her too.

It felt really awkward, with just me and Rob sat on the floor in the living room together, and even now, I couldn't quite find the confidence to look back round at him, not after how heated things were just before he did the shot.

Never had I been more tempted to kiss someone as I had then.

I also knew I should have gone out to see Rachael too, just like everyone else, but then I also knew that I wasn't very good at comforting people when they were upset so that was the last thing Rachael needed right now, as it would probably just upset her more.

I never knew the right thing to say so I knew the right people were already out there with Rachael, comforting her and making her feel better.

As soon as she walked into the living room again though, I could tell she had been crying and was really upset.

I hugged her before quickly stepping away again because I really was useless at these things and I could tell I wasn't helping at all. I really didn't know what to say or do but I absolutely hated seeing Rachael so upset and it was awful. If I could have swapped places with her so that I had to deal with it rather than her, then I would have done in a single second.

But knowing that I couldn't made me feel so helpless, because I really didn't know what to do for the best. There wasn't really anything I could do.

I left Rachael downstairs, quickly running up the stairs before anyone could see me cry as I felt really bad for getting upset. I knew it was stupid but she was my best friend and I hated seeing her like that but I didn't want to make it worse by letting her see me get upset.

I made it to my bedroom, shutting the door behind me quickly and sitting at the foot of my bed, crying a little bit as I thought about all the shit Blaine had put her through.

I felt so angry and upset that he was making her so upset, even when things between them were through.


	12. Kiss

Honesty

I stayed there for ten minutes or so, even though my tears had now dried up as I was still trying to calm myself down enough to be able to go downstairs. The last thing I wanted to do was crack right in front of Rachael so I was staying up here, just in case.

A knock at my bedroom door made me jump in shock a little though as it was so quiet in my bedroom and I really hadn't been expecting anyone to come up and see me. I instantly panicked, wondering if it was Rachael as I didn't want her to see me like this, so I forced a look round at the door from where I was sat on my bed, wondering who it could be.

Rob poked his head around the door on not hearing anything from me and he smiled apologetically at me as soon as did, looking unsure or not whether to go away.

"Hey," he spoke softly, clearly seeing that I was a little upset for himself. "Do you…do you want me to go away?"

I instantly shook my head, because the truth was that I was glad he was here and that he had taken it upon myself to come and see that I was okay. It meant a lot actually.

"No, no you're fine," I confirmed with a shy smile. "I just didn't want to be all silly in front of Rachael…it's not exactly fair on her considering the crap she's dealing with right now."

He smiled back, slipping through the doorway easily and shutting the door softly behind him as he did.

"That's pretty much just like you, isn't it?" He stated, despite how much it sounded more like a question.

I stared at him in confusion, wondering what he meant by that.

He stepped a little closer into my bedroom, keeping his eyes on me as he explained what he meant.

"I just mean…you think a lot about your friend's feelings, rather than your own. It's a…it's a good observation."

"Oh," I replied, not really too sure on what to say to that. I just smiled back, enjoying just talking to him on our own, without everyone watching us from downstairs.

"Are you upset because of how upset Rachael is?" He asked me curiously, sounding genuinely confused.

I nodded. "I know how much it hurts…what she's going through." I admitted, not really wanting to go into detail about it.

Even the thought of it made me feel physically sick, just like how it always did.

"Really?" He asked me curiously, sounding a little surprised at that.

I nodded in response, looking back at him curiously.

Every time I looked at him, there was always this deep pull, this urgent need within me and it wasn't something I found easy to explain. All I knew was that it was like nothing I had ever experienced before and it was something I never wanted to lose.

He was stood at the side of the room, beside my cabinet stand and wardrobe, and even though the furnishings of my bedroom was lovely…he still managed to look like some kind of god stood awkwardly in my bedroom. It was also like something out of my wildest dream, which I never imagined would come true.

Stood as he was a soft smile on his face, and a kind, gleaming twinkle in his eyes…it made me curious about something, as I'd remembered what he had once said to Rachael when she had chucked Blaine out for cheating on her and what Kellan had said the night Blaine got caught out, about not being able to tell me why Rob broke up with Kristen.

"Did Kristen cheat on you again…when you dumped her, I mean?" I braved myself to ask, because I really did want to know.

A pained look swept across his face for a few moments and he quickly looked down at the floor and away from me.

"Urm…yeah, yeah, she did." He confirmed, sounding as though talking about it all was still very difficult for him.

I felt really awful for him, because it was obvious to everyone who was a fan of him that he absolutely adored Kristen, and to know that after announcing to the world how much she had loved him and how much she was desperate to make it up to him again and all this crap, she had gone and hurt him once again.

It seemed the girl didn't have very many morals.

"I'm sorry." I said simply, knowing it was all I could say to him right now.

He nodded in response and I quickly looked away, not too sure on what to say now. I was never any good with any of this and it was times like this when I really wished that I could find something to say to make it better.

"Rachael will be okay, you know," he quickly said, changing the subject a little bit. "You're okay now…and me." He stated, trying to sound convincing, though he didn't really do too well at that one.

I nodded anyway. "Yeah, I guess…" I forced myself to agree.

"What happened with you anyway? Was you cheated on?" Rob asked me curiously, sounding as though he was really trying not to push the boundaries by asking me too much about it.

I nodded, trying desperately to ignore that sickening feeling within me as I desperately wanted to be honest with Rob. Honesty was a huge thing for me now, especially after everything that had happened with Steven when we were together and the aftermath of everything that had happened between us.

"Well I say yes…I was kind of cheated on." I explained, not wanting to sound like some sort of victim, because with Steven, there had been blame on both sides.

I got up from the bed then, not wanting to look back at Rob as I talked, because it was easier not to.

"Basically…Steven, my ex, my first boyfriend…we were together for over two and a half years together and then he went to university a year before I got a place at De Montfort, a different university to his one. Anyway, we'd had a few problems in our relationship, but we had got past all that and we really thought we would be okay." I explained honestly, as I realised there was no point telling half the story. I wanted to be completely honest with Rob.

"And then, five days after he got to university, he dumped me, saying that he just didn't think we were working anymore. He did it all by text and because of how much he kept saying he loved me a few days before, I just…well, I thought it was a little strange, how it had come so out of the blue."

I took a deep breath and carried on, despite how every bone in my body didn't want to, because even now, I found this thing really hard to talk about. But I knew I had to.

"So I went down the next day to go and see him and he promised me there was nobody else and that it was just that it wasn't working and he wasn't sure if he was in love with me anymore. We left it really good between us that day, agreeing to be friends. And then…less than two weeks later, he text me to say that he'd met someone else."

"You're joking," Rob replied in shock from behind me.

I didn't turn around to look at him but nodded anyway. "It was obvious to me that he lied about everything. He wouldn't tell me who it was, but I quickly realised it was a girl who was his flatmate. He dumped me so that he could be with her."

"Well, he was obviously pretty stupid then." Rob replied from behind me, still sounding really surprised about that.

I smiled sadly in response. "Well you'd think that, but I guess he was pretty much pushed to it in the end."

I stepped onto the outside of my balcony, hearing for myself that Rob was following from behind me.

"Why?" He asked, as I moved round the curtains of my doorway, stepping out to glance out at Los Angeles as the city slept. It looked so beautiful from up here, with the lights of the city reflected back to me and making the hills aglow.

"Well, I did a lot of silly things being that it was my first proper relationship." I confessed, feeling really sheepish about that.

He was silent for a while and I instantly turned to look at him, feeling conscious about what he thought of that, given how guilty I always felt about what I had did to Steven.

Rob was looking out at the Los Angeles sky, looking fully impressed with how beautiful the view from my bedroom was.

"I forget…sometimes, how beautiful Los Angeles really is. I guess I pretty much take it for granted sometimes." He confessed, sounding just as guilty about that.

He turned back to me, with a shy smile on his face, instantly taking my breath away. "So, what silly things did you do anyway?"

"Things were fine for the first year of our relationship. They were more than fine actually…we were just like a normal, happy couple. I'd never been more in love with anyone, or at least, so I thought…"

"And then?" Rob asked, seeing that I was reluctant to go on.

"And then, we started being silly and basically…well, we basically stopped having sex to be quite honest. This might sound stupid but as soon as that happened, our relationship instantly started going downhill."

"It doesn't," Rob quickly replied from beside me. "So…why did you stop then, if it began to cause such a strain on your relationship?"

"Well, I don't exactly remember why, but…I think sometimes it's easier to make excuses, isn't it? But the more we did, the more we didn't make time for one another and it all just started to fall apart. Then my ex sent me a message and blew everything apart." I sighed heavily.

That guilt was back, threatening to blow me apart but I refused to let it stop me from revealing the truth to Rob.

"I'm not just saying everything was my ex-boyfriend's fault, because that isn't it at all. Me and my ex basically wasn't together for very long, only a few months…and at the time of my ex coming back into our lives at just the right time, I thought I still loved him, although it took me this long to realise it wasn't love at all." I confessed, before taking a deep breath and continuing on with what happened.

"Anyway, I started seeing Callum, my ex behind Steven's back, which yes, of course I know is wrong, but I was too stupid to see what I was doing at the time. I even ignored my Mum's advice, because I was being that stupid. Nothing happened between me and Callum, but I kept lying to Steven about seeing him, which is just as bad really. He did try to kiss me once, but I'd made it clear nothing would happen between us, and I'd made it clear to Steven that it was all him. I had initially thought that telling Steven would make him trust me more." I explained thoroughly.

I glanced towards Rob for a second, to see his reaction. He was listening intently, though he didn't exactly look as though he was judging me, not yet anyway.

"Anyway, I agreed not to ever talk to him or see him again, and I deleted him off of my Facebook, though I don't really think that made the difference in the end. We stayed together for over a year and we even went on holiday together for a week too, but…nothing really made any difference. By the end of our relationship, we were more like best friends than lovers…not that he exactly treated me like it given how badly he treated me as soon as we were over. He made it obvious that I was his past as soon as he got with her, and that was it. And I guess that was fair enough considering how much I had hurt him and how much shit I had put him through, but he always said that we would always be best mates, no matter what happened and I genuinely believed him. I really didn't think that things would be as bitter as they are now. If I saw him in the street, I think I'd literally walk straight past him and the same with him if he saw me." I sighed heavily.

It really was a shame that we couldn't have been mates, because I think in the end, despite how much it always hurt whenever I used to see a picture of them together, I would have forgiven him for breaking up with me to get with her and we would have been best of mates.

But not now.

He treated me too much like utter shit for me to ever forgive him now.

"It's a shame you couldn't be friends…after all you went through together, I mean." Rob sighed from behind me, sounding as though he genuinely cared.

"Yeah, I know…I think sometimes though, it is a little easier just to break all ties with someone instead."

"Yeah, I agree…no matter how hard it is sometimes." Rob agreed from beside me.

"I think it just hurt him too much to be mates with me in all honesty. Well and that and the fact that his new girlfriend seemed to have a problem with it. God knows why, it wasn't like I was going to jump straight back into bed with him." I huffed. "I mean yes…obviously there will probably always be feelings there as he was my first proper boyfriend, but I definitely wouldn't go back there, not after the way he treated me…maybe she thought on breaking us up, I might be tempted to break them two up or some stupid shit like that." I huffed again.

"Yeah, maybe." Rob agreed awkwardly from beside me.

I took a deep breath and turned back to look at him, expecting to see him staring at me disapprovingly or something as I was more than used to that by now. I had been judged many times before because of what I had done to Steven and now I was so scared to see if Rob judged me on what I had done.

"But that's all that happened. I know what I did to Steven was terrible but I live in regret with that every single day. Like I said to my Mum just after he dumped me, I'll always regret hurting him the way that I did, until the very day I die. It's no excuse but I was only nineteen and young, and Steven was talking about getting engaged and all this and it was all too much. We'd only been together for a year and though I used to always see me staying with him forever, talking about engagements and stuff all just seemed too soon."

He turned to look at me, smiling fondly as I stared back at him in uncertainty, feeling sure that he would judge me.

"Look…you don't have to explain yourself to me, because we've all done things that we regret. Like you said you were young then too…that was, what…three years ago? People change a lot in three years and people make mistakes." He insisted.

I smiled nervously in response, unable to believe that he was the first person who actually hadn't judged me on what I had done in the past.

"So…just out of curiosity…he was your first proper boyfriend, so…I'm guessing he must have been your first, right?" He asked curiously, genuinely just sounding like he was asking out of interest.

I couldn't help but giggle though, just a little bit, in shock from him asking me. I would have never expected him to, if I was being completely honest.

I looked up at him in surprise, to see him watching me carefully, a playful smirk on his face and a teasing glint in his eyes.

Instantly, my cheeks flared up in embarrassment, and I felt myself getting hotter and hotter because of the realisation of knowing he was teasing me.

"Urm…well yeah, basically…though I'm not too sure what you're getting at." I admitted, trying not to stutter too much and sound like an idiot.

He smirked a little in response. "Well it's just…you talk about Steven, your ex as though he was your only really serious relationship…"

"Oh!" I realised, instantly understanding what he was talking about exactly.

My cheeks turned even hotter in response as I realised he was asking me how many people I had actually slept with. It was a question I wasn't exactly expecting him to ask me, not at all, but I supposed whilst we were being honest with each other…

"Urm…well, yeah, he was my only properly serious relationship." I confessed a little sheepishly. "Because I was never looking for a long time relationship, not when I knew for definite that I was going to university shortly after Steven dumped me." I confessed.

I smiled sneakily as I remembered the first aid box my Mum had packed for me though. Period pads, ibuprofen, cold capsules, a bottle of Vicks, a six month prescription of the pill and…a whole load of condoms.

I might not have had a relationship that was half as serious as mine and Steven's, but I'd still managed to go out and have a good time whilst I was at university.

"But yeah, I've slept with a few people though." I confessed. "Not as a one night stand or anything like that, but it weren't anywhere near as serious as me and Steven." I admitted, not too embarrassed to say that as it wasn't like I put it around whilst I was at university. I was just being young and enjoying life.

I turned to look at Rob, a very tight knot of jealousy twisting uneasily within my stomach as I thought about the question I wanted to ask him.

"What about…you anyway?"

He chuckled awkwardly, running his hand through the top of his hair nervously and I instantly began to panic in response, a twinge of jealousy running through me.

"I actually haven't slept with as many people as magazines like to make out." He confessed, still sounding embarrassed though. "I'd say I've slept with ten people, at most, including a couple of one night stands." He confessed, trying to hold back a smile.

I nodded in response, trying to fight back my jealousy as much as possible so that he couldn't see I was jealous.

"Oh right," I replied simply, not sure what else to say.

I saw him turn to look at me in the corner of my eye, looking curious as he stared at me, but I refused to turn to look at him.

"Now, now…" he spoke softly, his voice a little teasing. He stepped forwards a little and I instantly froze myself to the spot, not sure what to do. "No need to be jealous."

I could tell he was teasing me and I could almost imagine the smug grin on his face as he realised how jealous I was about talking about this with him, despite how stupid that was.

I pretended to huff as I stepped around him, heading back in to my bedroom quickly, and ignoring how closely he had been watching me.

"I'm not jealous." I insisted adamantly.

"So why have you come back into your bedroom then?" He asked curiously, following me back into my bedroom from the balcony and quickly shutting the door behind him.

I shrugged, glancing nervously around my bedroom. "I was getting cold." I lied.

As soon as I got towards my bed, I turned back around to look at Rob and caught him smirking at the floor, looking thoroughly amused by my jealousy.

I couldn't help but smile in response because he looked so cheeky when he smirked, so carefree too, but I was a little embarrassed too.

"What?" I asked him, trying to sound as unbothered as possible, though I knew I probably didn't.

He smiled. "Nothing," he insisted, before clearing his throat and quickly changing the subject. "So…you haven't had any one night stands at all?" He asked me, genuinely sounding curious about that.

I shook my head. "Nope, not one," I smiled proudly, because I actually liked the fact that I hadn't had a one night stand before. "I guess I'm just not that kind of girl." I replied, with that same smugness.

He smirked in response. "So you've never once met someone who you're so attracted to, so in tune with…that you couldn't resist them?" He asked teasingly, watching me closely as I squirmed awkwardly under his gaze.

"Maybe…" I replied awkwardly, because the truth was, it had been Rob.

From the very moment I met him, I wanted be near him, to spend time with him and kiss him. The only reason I hadn't really acted on such impulses yet was because I hadn't actually believed that he had wanted me, though the more I got to know him, the more I couldn't help but doubt that.

"But then again, I guess rather than just make it easy; I actually have respect for myself. I don't really see the point in rushing things when it comes to relationships." I stated firmly.

He raised an eyebrow in response, curious as to what I meant. "Oh?" He asked,

"Well…I think sometimes that's why the spark in a relationship goes so easily. I personally think that the more time you put into a relationship, by taking it slow and appreciating the other, then the better. I think as soon as you start going too fast, you end up taking each other for granted. But that's why I much prefer relationships then one simple nightstand. Because yes, it might be good or whatever, but then that's it…do you know what I mean?"

He nodded in response, smiling slightly. "I wish I'd have been as wise as you when I was the same age as you."

I huffed sourly. "You make me sound like I'm ten years younger than you or something."

He grinned. "Technically you're six years younger than me."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah thanks for that."

He chuckled easily in response, running a hand through his hair and I fought the urgent not to smile. He always looked so cute when he did that, no matter how many times he did it.

"Yeah, but you know what I mean…I've made more than enough mistakes in my time when it comes to relationships and going too fast and ruining things."

I smirked. "Oh, I don't believe that."

He raised an eyebrow, a curious smirk on his face as he stepped a little closer to me. "Why; do I look innocent?"

I giggled a little in response. "Oh no, I don't believe that for a second."

He smirked again, and I couldn't help but notice how sexy he looked, when he was being all confident and cheeky. Irresistible was definitely the definition of this man.

Even now, he made my heart race until I was almost dizzy, sending my head spinning with sheer desire.

"Now, what is that supposed to mean?" He asked curiously, a playful edge to his voice as he asked me.

I flushed awkwardly for a moment before answering him, realising he was just teasing me after all.

"Oh, I'm sure you've broken a few hearts girls in your time…what with your confident smirk and them gorgeous smouldering eyes of yours too-"

"Did you just say you think I'm gorgeous?" He quickly picked up on that, interrupting me before I could say anything more.

He stepped forwards, stepping even closer to me, a small smile on his lips, as though he was happy to hear that.

I on the other hand couldn't have reacted more different.

I stared at him blankly, trying to think back on whether I had called him gorgeous or not and once I realised that I definitely had, my cheeks instantly flared up with a deep red in response and I really didn't know what to say at all.

"I…I er…I…well…technically, I didn't-"

He shook his head from one side to another once, taking that on board. "Okay…so what else do you think of me?" He asked, genuinely sounding curious.

I instantly stepped backwards, until my legs were pressed against the foot of my bed as he continued to walk forwards, walking closer to where I was stood.

"Well…you just have that cheeky look about you, don't you? I imagine you've probably bewitched a few girls in your time-"

"Have I _bewitched_ you then?" He repeated with a smirk, stepping closer to me so that we were almost touching.

He was watching me closely, a playful glint reflecting in his eyes, and I noticed how his eyes were slightly smouldering and I couldn't help but shiver in response, trying to catch my breath.

"Errr…" I stuttered awkwardly, moving to the left of me so that I moved away from the bed, but as soon as he did, he turned back to look at me again, staring at me in the same way as before and as I backed into the wall behind me, I literally felt like I couldn't breathe.

He instantly stepped forwards, seeing that I was now unsure on where to go exactly and raised an eyebrow in response, as I stood still like an idiot, still not sure on what to say to that.

"Erm…well I know bewitched is a corny phrase-"

"It is a bit, to be honest." He replied with that same damn cheeky smirk, trying not to laugh as I began to get really flustered.

"I just meant-"

"But you still haven't answered my question." He reminded me in a soft, rough voice, instantly making me shiver again in response as he stepped even closer to me, so that we were almost touching now.

I breathed in his scent automatically, chewing on my bottom lip awkwardly to stop myself from groaning due to how irresistible he smelt.

He leaned over casually, stretching one arm out so that it was pressed against the wall behind me, just from beside me, and I instantly stopped breathing in response, too shocked to do anything else.

He smiled a little, his eyes raking in my face slowly as though he was taking in every detail and the more that the seconds passed, the more I felt as though I actually might have fainted.

His other hand came up from his side and brushed against my ears, tucking a loose strand of hair behind it.

I stayed frozen to the spot, still trying to work out how to breathe whilst his hand brushed against my skin, sending an urgent thrill through me.

He raised an eyebrow, stepping away just a little bit to look at me properly, though I was more than glad he didn't pull away from me all together.

"You might want to breathe," he insisted, and I instantly did as I was told, taking a long inhale of well needed air, just as my eyes began to blur over.

He smiled in response, seeing that I was okay again, and moved a little closer again. "So…do I bewitch you?" He asked again, genuinely sounding amused by the possibility of him mesmerising me.

I took a deep breath, trying so hard not to get caught up in everything that belonged to Rob, though with him being this close from me, it was almost completely impossible.

"I think…me not being able to breathe…when you're stood so close…it's…evidence enough." I just about managed to gasp out, having just enough confidence to say it.

He pursed his lips, fighting the urge not to smirk in response and I couldn't help but smile back a little, seeing for myself that he was delighted by me saying that.

"Out of curiosity," he started, staring straight at me in curiosity, his eyes still smouldering with that same intense emotion. "When I…well, when I touch you…or I'm near you or whatever…do you feel this spark…this bolt of electricity strike through you?"

I nodded, still not able to find my voice.

He smirked slightly in response and again, I couldn't help but smile in response. "I get it too…I've felt it before, but…never this strong." He confessed; sounding a little baffled about this.

I chewed absentmindedly on the edge of my bottom lip, and his eyes instantly swept down to my mouth.

The smouldering look in his eyes was back, only this time, it was a lot more intense than before and not only did it literally take my breathe away for a second, but it also sent a deep heat throughout me, one that caused my stomach to knot up completely with excitement.

He stared at my mouth curiously, looking as though he was trying to work out whatever he was considering in his head.

He soon answered my question.

He began to lean in, watching me the whole time that he did as though he truly believed that I would back away from him.

There was nothing I wanted more than to kiss him and that had been the same ever since I had first met him. I longed for it.

My head was getting more and more heady, the closer that he got, completely overwhelmed by everything that belonged to Rob. His stunning scent, his overwhelming closeness, and the mere thought of finally being able to give in and kiss him.

The moment his mouth pressed to mine, all coherent thought went out the window. All wrong or right was muddled up somewhere in the back of my mind.

I couldn't help but groan, just a little, the minute our lips touched, because that hot spark that had existed between us blazed into a hot ring of desire, pulling me in with it and I willingly jumped, desperate for more of the sensations that he was bringing me.

Our mouths brushed against each other's, softly at first, testing the waters to see how this new experience would feel for the both of us.

It didn't take him long to get impatient though.

His hand, which had been pressed to the wall behind me, secured itself in the back of my hair, tightening within my strands of hair and pulling my face more securely to his, so that my mouth was pressed harder against his, and I willingly accepted, our kisses turning far more urgent than before.

My hands slipped forwards of their own accord, pressing themselves onto the front of his shirt and feeling the lean muscles from beneath my fingers.

He groaned in delight, shivering against my fingers and I couldn't help but shiver along with him, unable to stop myself feeling proud to know that I was having the same effect on him as he was on me.

His other hand grabbed at my hip through my dress a little roughly, pressing me back into the wall behind me and I couldn't help but moan a little in response, especially when his tongue darted out just a little, brushing against the opening of my lips and savouring the taste.

Hearing my reluctance for himself, he brushed his tongue against mine, just a little and I moaned far too loudly again as he tasted impossibly intoxicating and my hands instantly shoved themselves into the back of his hair on their own accord, desperately pressing him against me as I got lost in everything that belonged to Rob.

His body followed that, pressing roughly against my own body and I couldn't help but feel a little light headed in response to how glorious it was to feel everything against me, because in that moment, it just felt so _right_.

Finally, he removed his mouth from mine with an unsatisfactory groan, as though he hadn't really wanted at all and I could only emphasise with that.

He let me catch my breath as his glorious mouth, began a trail of sweet, hot kisses, running up from just beneath my jaw, and downwards, to my neck.

I moaned instantly, tangling my fingers into the soft strands of his hair as he sucked on a spot to the left of my neck, just as he had earlier on that night, though only this time, he didn't have to stop.

His hands pressed themselves to the outsides of my thighs, holding on tightly as he pushed me up from the floor.

My arms instantly wound around his neck so that I was holding onto him as he shoved me back into the wall again, leaving me lingering at just the right spot.

His mouth eagerly moved back to my mouth and as he kissed me urgently, distracting me slightly with his sweet, hot mouth, he parted my legs slightly so that he fit in between and pressed himself back to me, so that I could feel him better through the layers of our clothes.

I moaned again, far too loudly, but unable to help myself as I could feel him a lot better now and there was no denying just how much I wanted him anymore.

Every part of my body felt like it was alive and was on fire and a deep yearning filled my stomach, dipping lower and making me feel as though I was out of control.

A knock at the door interrupted us, and with a frustrated growl, he forced himself to let go of me and let me slip to the floor.

After such an intense make out session with somebody who I had wanted for such a long time though, left me shaky and quite clumsy on my legs and I instantly grabbed at the wall behind me, stopping me from falling straight to the floor thanks to my shaking, jelly-like legs.

He stepped away from me instantly and I forced myself to look at him, curious as to see how he would look after everything that just happened between us.

His eyes were smouldering, making his sweet green eyes look so much more intense than they did anyway and I found that I couldn't look away from him.

As soon as I got my breathe back, it was finally starting to sink in what had actually happened with us, and though I still couldn't look away from him, I didn't have a clue what to say to him now.

"Charlie…we're making hot chocolate, if you want any?" Tasha's voice came from behind my bedroom door, instantly sending me out of my trance.

"Urm…I'm okay thanks, I'll be down in a minute." I replied, trying not to stutter too much, as I knew it would give me away.

As soon as I heard Tasha walking away from my bedroom door, I breathed a sigh of relief and instantly looked back to Rob, who was still watching me closely, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, as though he really didn't know what to say to me now either.

"Urm…so-"

"Shall I see you downstairs?" Rob interrupted my nervous stuttering, looking awkward and uncertain.

His voice was still raspy and intense, and he quickly cleared his throat.

"Urm…yeah, I guess," I replied uncertainly, because I really wasn't sure what to say in response to that.

It was obvious to me that he wasn't prepared to talk about what had just happened between us anytime soon as he would have started talking about it now with me upstairs. I didn't see there was any chance of him wanting to speak about this with me downstairs, not with everyone else there too.

He smiled awkwardly, standing around for another moment and looking as though he wasn't sure what to say, before he forced himself to head to my bedroom door.

I watched him as he did, watching as he headed through my bedroom door, before I finally sighed a huge relief in response.

It wasn't because I wanted him to go because that was definitely not the reason. It was just literally because it felt so awkward after we had kissed, because both of us hadn't known what to say to each other and I didn't really know where this left us.


	13. Date Plans

**Date Plans**

Instead of going downstairs to see everyone though, I just ended up falling asleep upstairs in my room.

That wasn't really the plan at all, but the minute I had got changed into my nightclothes, I had fallen asleep straight away, but then I guessed it was a good thing really, as then I didn't have to face any awkwardness between me and Rob…at least, not yet anyway.

As soon as I woke up in the morning though, I couldn't help but sigh heavily in response, remembering everything that had happened the previous night.

I would have said it's a bad thing, but the thing was…I didn't really believe that.

Rob had still kissed me and despite how much I wanted to deny it, to try and tell myself that he didn't have feelings for me and tell myself that last night had been a mistake, I just couldn't seem to do it.

There was this niggling feeling in the back of my head that was constantly telling me to hope, because surely, if he had no feelings for me then he would never have kissed me in the first place.

I tried to shut my thoughts out as I got up and headed to the bathroom to get showered and ready for today.

I put on a linen white, short sleeved tee shirt, tucking them into a plum coloured pair of leather shorts, and wrapping a grey hoodie around myself as it felt really cool in the house today.

I towel dried my hair, letting my hair fold into messy curls as it continued to dry, leaving my dark hair like that, folding it over one shoulder.

I put my slippers on and headed downstairs, hearing chatter coming from the kitchen.

I headed straight there to see Rachael and Tasha sat round at the kitchen table, both talking about last night.

Rachael looked up at me and instantly looked really guilty and apologetic and at first, I wondered why. But then, I remembered what had happened last night and the letter Rachael had received. I realised that me not coming downstairs last night probably had looked as though I was in the mood with Rachael, even though that wasn't it at all.

"Babes, I'm really sorry about ruining your birthday last night." She sighed deeply, looking really apologetic that things had turned out like that.

I smiled at her in response, hoping that she would believe me that she hadn't bothered me at all last night. She had every right to be upset, after all.

"Don't be silly, Rach," I insisted quickly, as I headed over to the kettle, making myself a cup of tea. "You didn't do anything wrong and you were completely right to get as upset as you did. Blaine should never have written you that letter and trust me, last night was brilliant." I insisted with a shy smile.

Maybe a little too brilliant…

"Thank you hun, I'm glad I didn't ruin your night." Rachael replied, breathing a heavy sigh of relief.

I rolled my eyes, because I could tell that Rachael had probably been worrying all night about that, even though it was silly. It wasn't her fault at all and it had definitely been the best birthday ever.

"I did tell you that Rach." Tasha added quickly.

"Yeah…" Rachael trailed off, sounding disinterested in that subject now. "Anyway, moving on then…" She announced, making me smile to myself in response.

I turned around and looked at her, watching her look at me closely, as though she was wondering something.

"You disappeared for a long time last night." Rachael commented, though she definitely wasn't complaining.

It sounded more like she was desperate for details about what happened, but I was feeling more reluctant than giving any details right now. I wanted to keep what had happened to myself as I knew Rob respected his privacy and I didn't exactly want this getting out, especially if it was to lead to something…

"Urr yeah…I wasn't feeling so well, which was why I disappeared so quickly. I didn't exactly want to be sick in front of everyone." I lied, smiling.

I didn't exactly want to make Rachael feel bad either by telling her that I had been crying because of how devastated she was last night, as I knew it would probably just make her upset again.

"Oh," she nodded, not looking very convinced. "Was you sick then?"

I shook my head. "No, I was alright in the end actually, thank god."

She nodded again, her eyes lighting up with glee. "Yeah, because Rob went to come and see you didn't he? Then the two of you were up in your bedroom for ages…" she trailed off, a suggestive tone to her voice.

I clicked my tongue, looking unimpressed by her claim and tried my best not to give anything away.

"Rachael, I know exactly how your brain works, but nothing happened between us. He was just making sure I was okay as I had run out the living room pretty quickly, and then we were discussing how beautiful Los Angeles was on my balcony."

She nodded, still staring at me disbelievingly, but I tried not to give anything away the best that I could.

"Oh right," she replied, looking unconvinced as she turned back to the table.

Tasha watched her, trying not to grin in response and I rolled my eyes as she looked back at me and smiled. We both knew how nosy Rachael could be sometimes.

I grabbed a strawberry yogurt and my pill packet and sat down at the table beside Tasha who turned and smiled at me.

"You look nice today by the way," Tasha smiled.

I smiled back. "Oh…thank you."

"Yeah, maybe a little too nice," Rachael perked up from the other side of the table, making me huff in response. "Dressing up for Rob, are we?" She teased with a grin, obviously hoping to get information from me.

Well I was just as determined not to give her any news at all nor give her any idea that there might be more to me and Rob's relationship now.

"I wouldn't say that," I pretended to laugh awkwardly; running my hand back through my hair automatically and making Rachael raise her eyebrows in response. "What now?" I asked her with a heavy sigh.

"Well that's a bit funny…you've just ran your hand through your hair…you never do that. Not before you had met Rob anyway."

I groaned in annoyance because it became obvious to me that Rachael was never going to give up until I slipped up and tell her something, but I was determined not to.

"Actually Rachael, when my hair is a mess and I can't be bothered with it, I always run my hand through my hair. I doubt very much that meeting someone would make a difference on their people's habits." I huffed, unimpressed.

She huffed back, looking thoroughly disappointed with that. "Well I don't know sweetie, you're starting to dress, act and even look more like his ex with every day that goes on."

I glared back at her angrily, not appreciating the comparison between me and _her _one single bit and I knew that was exactly why she had done it; to get a reaction. Normally, I wouldn't mind but I thought that was well out of order.

"Rachael!" I huffed angrily, feeling really bitter now.

"Yeah, I'm not being funny Rachael, but Charlie's always dressed that way, especially since leaving college." Tasha stuck up for me quickly.

Rachael frowned in response, but forced herself to look back at me. "Fine…sorry for the comparison."

I frowned in response but nodded anyway, forcing myself to swallow her apology down. I really hoped her comment was more out of spite than anything else though, because the last thing I had been trying to do was dress or look like her. It was no offence to her but I was my own person and I really wanted to believe that Rob would be interested in me for who I was, not because I looked like his ex.

The doorbell rang then, saving us all from any more awkwardness.

Tasha got up from the chair, looking desperate to get to the front door and leaving me and Rachael in complete silence.

Rachael sighed heavily in response. "Look just ignore me babes, I'm on my period, you know how narky I get when I'm on."

I couldn't help but make a face in response because I hadn't exactly wanted to know that. "Eww Rachael, but err…thanks for clearing that up." I laughed awkwardly.

She grinned in response, seeing that I had forgiven her. "That's okay sweetie." She replied, making me laugh in response.

I looked up from the table as soon as I heard Tasha talking in the hallway, curious as to whom it was.

As soon as I saw Rob suddenly appear at the doorway though, I felt as though I couldn't actually breathe. I definitely hadn't been expecting him to come round yet, at least not to see me anyway, but it would appear that that was exactly what he had done, given that he was looking straight at me.

He smiled shyly at me and I instantly smiled back, unable to help myself. He had such a lovely smile and he looked even cuter when he looked all shy and awkward.

His hair looked messy today, as though he had been busily running his hand through it all day, and I had a feeling that he had probably been doing a lot, probably from nerves of coming here to see me today.

He was wearing a grey V-neck tee shirt underneath a black leather jacket, with dark jeans and black converses.

I stared back at him, trying hard to control my breathing and not look too bothered that he was here at the same time, due to the fact that I could feel Rachael staring at me curiously.

"Hey," Rob spoke softly, instantly sending flutters of nerves through my stomach in response to just that.

"Hey…" I forced a reply back, looking back to Rachael who was still staring at me curiously. "Urm…did you mind leaving me and Rob alone for a second? I know he wanted to speak to me about something, that's all."

She frowned ungratefully at me, not looking too impressed with my idea.

"Oh yeah…what so you can talk about whatever happened between the two of you last night? Yeah, I'm not stupid-"

"Rachael, shut up," Tasha warned her, quickly stepping into the kitchen and grabbing Rachael by the arm as politely as she could, and dragging her off her stool.

"Hey! Anyone would think you're in on it all too." Rachael huffed sourly, turning to glare at Tasha angrily, as though she actually believed this to be true.

"You have a very vivid imagination, Rachael." Tasha complained sourly, smiling apologetically at Rob who was still stood in the doorway, trying hard not to smirk in response to Rachael's moaning.

As soon as they had both headed past him, he turned to grin at me, still looking thoroughly amused about Rachael.

"I think Tasha might be right about Rachael." He teased playfully, stepping further into the doorway.

I raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "What about the imagination thing? Yeah, I can't help but think sometimes that she just might be a better writer than me with all them thoughts scrambling through her head." I teased.

He chuckled throatily in response, appreciating my joke as he ran his hand through the top of his hair.

He shut the kitchen door behind him so that we had a bit more privacy to be able to talk without anyone interrupting us. I couldn't help but smile as he did though, because as stupid as the thought was, I liked the thought of being alone with him, despite how it meant that we had to talk about last night.

"So…I wasn't expecting to see you quite so soon." I confessed sheepishly, not sure on what to say to him now that we were alone together.

He sighed heavily as he turned around to face me and I noticed how worried he was looking about having to say whatever he had come to say and instantly, I began to panic.

"I guess…we should talk about last night." He considered, taking a step further into the room and keeping his voice down enough so that Rachael and Tasha would definitely not hear him say it.

I frowned in response, instantly pushing away my cup of tea and looking down at the table awkwardly.

"I suppose so." I forced myself to agree.

"What's up?" He instantly asked, concern lacing his voice.

I forced myself to look up and straight back to where Rob was stood, noticing how confused he looked.

"Well…I have a feeling what's coming next, so…you might as well say whatever you need to now and get it out of the way." I insisted, trying not to sound too bothered, even though I absolutely was.

Rob's face turned even more confused then, looking as though he genuinely didn't know what I was talking about.

"I don't know what you mean," he confessed, genuinely sounding puzzled.

He stepped towards the table and took a seat opposite me, running a hand through the top of his hair.

"Look…I know Kellan told you that…well that I'm still trying to get over Kristen," he forced himself to admit. "But I like you Charlie…as in really like you." He admitted.

I instantly stared up at him in shock, having not expected him to say that and as soon as I realised that he was actually telling the truth, I couldn't help but smile in response.

He smiled back, looking unsure of where to continue.

"Really?" I asked, just to make certain.

His smile turned into a grin in response, noticing how uncertain I was.

"Yeah, of course," he insisted, as though it shouldn't have been such a shock. "You're a lovely girl, Charlie." He insisted.

I fought back a smile in response, biting down hard on my bottom lip to stop me from saying anything so he could say whatever he needed to say.

"You're kind and you make me laugh a lot too."

"Not as much as Rachael, I imagine." I added quickly, making him laugh in response.

"But I mean it…and, well…I've decided, after last night that…I'd really like to give things a go…between you and me, I mean."

I could only stare at him in shock, feeling certain that I must have heard him wrong or something. I didn't actually believe for one second that he would have wanted to have a relationship with me but the more that his words had sunk in, the more that I realised that was obviously what he must have meant.

But I really needed to make sure before I started to get my hopes completely up.

"As in…you've decided you want a relationship…with me?" I asked, clarifying that. I completely ignored the way my heart was racing at the very thought of it, because I couldn't bear to get my hopes up, only to get pushed down again.

He stared at me in confusion, a smile tugging at his lips as he did, trying to work out why I was so shocked about that.

"I don't understand why that's so hard for you to believe." He confessed, still staring at me dumbfounded.

I shrugged in response, making a hand gesture from him to me as though that would automatically clear it up for him. All it actually did was make him look even more confused in response.

"Well…look at you and then me…it's sort of a big difference." I confessed.

He rolled his eyes in response, looking completely unimpressed by my observation.

"Are you serious? I mean what the hell? What's the difference between me and you that would put me off you exactly?" He asked, not just sounding confused anymore, but sounding a little insulted.

I instantly panicked, seeing that I probably wasn't making it any easier for myself. "I don't mean like that…because you're famous or whatever or anything like that. I just meant…" I trailed off, feeling like an idiot now. I took a deep breath and forced myself to say it. "Well it's just…you're really good looking, as in…ridiculously so."

He huffed in response. "So? I don't understand what your point is, Charlie. You're a gorgeous girl, so why you think there would be no chance that I would ever consider looking at you is just absurd."

"Do you really think that?" I asked before I could stop myself, unable to stop myself from grinning in response.

He laughed once in response, rolling his eyes. "Well…obviously…I'm not saying that I'm just asking you out just because I think you're attractive or anything because that's not it at all. But yeah, of course I'm attracted to you. Like I said before, you're a very kind person, and you make me laugh too."

I laughed awkwardly in response, pushing my hair back from my face and turning a slight red in response.

"Sorry…I guess I can be a bit stupid sometimes."

He smiled back in response. "Don't be silly, I just think it's absurd that you think I would never consider going out with you. You're an absolutely lovely girl, Charlie and I definitely enjoy spending time with you."

I bit down on my bottom lip, trying so hard not to smile in response, because this was all I could have ever imagined hearing him say.

"Well obviously, I'd love to go out with you. You pretty much could have guessed my response." I joked, making him smile in response.

He ran a hand through the top of his hair again, his face turning serious and I instantly started to panic, an instant reaction from me.

"Look erm…is it okay if we keep this between ourselves…just for a little while anyway? Obviously, I haven't had a relationship since…well, since getting out of a quite serious one, so I'd prefer to try and take…us slow."

I instantly nodded, because I didn't mind keeping this between ourselves and I imagined it would have been easier to have a bit of privacy before we told the girls or anyone like that.

I also knew that Rob was a very private person so I completely understood why he didn't want anyone to know about us yet, as we were only really just getting to know each other.

"Oh yeah absolutely, I completely understand." I insisted quickly.

He smiled in response, looking relieved that there was no pressure from me. "Thank you, I erm…I appreciate that."

I nodded in response, completely understanding that he didn't because I knew how much he respected his privacy. It was actually better for me too, because my career was only just getting off of the ground too.

"Though…I asked you out because I really liked you, because I liked spending time with you and because I'm attracted to you. So…" he trailed off, leaning his arm across the table and entwining his hand with mine.

I took a shaky breathe, enjoying the feel of his warm skin against mine and the way a spark of intense desire swept through me at just this simple touch.

I couldn't help but smile though as I looked down at our hands, pressed together, because there was no denying just how right it felt.

Even this, just holding hands, a simple show of affection…was more than enough for me.

He smiled in response, instantly grabbing my attention again. "There's no reason why we can't do this…or even why we can't do what we did last night either."

I grinned back in response, despite how much I tried to fight it back by chewing on my bottom skin and forced a nod in response.

"Yeah…yeah, I'd like that." I insisted.


	14. Dinner Date

**Dinner Date**

I was pleased that Rob and I had agreed to take it slow as it didn't put any pressure on either of us and though I disliked not being able to tell the girls as I really wanted to be able to share the news with them so that they could see how happy I was for themselves, I completely understood that it was easier just to keep it between ourselves right now.

Of course, agreeing to date each other though left it difficult to see each other in secret, what with the girls being at my house.

So a few days after he had asked me out, we agreed to meet up at his house.

I understood perfectly well that he couldn't pick me up from my house due to the rick of him being caught by any paparazzi so I had agreed to meet him at his house, and he had given me an address to give to the taxi driver I was planning to book shortly before I headed round his house.

He had the whole day free for once so it was nice knowing that we both didn't have to go anywhere and could just enjoy each other's company away from everyone else, for once.

I wasn't really sure what to put on as I didn't actually know what we were going to be doing today, so in the end, I put on a black, loose fitted dress with brown polka dots, and paired it with a thick, brown belt around my waist, a brown, oversized hat and some brown sandals.

It was a lovely hot day in Los Angeles anyway, and the dress wasn't too short but was short enough and I felt lovely and cool as I skipped down from upstairs after a lovely hot shower, leaving my hair damp so that it tangled into curls.

Rachael raised her eyebrows at me as soon as I walked into the kitchen, but I ignored her completely as I headed over to the fridge and grabbed some strawberries.

"You look…very nice today." She commented, instantly sounding suspicious.

I just raised my eyebrows with a lack of interest as I put the strawberries onto the counter beside the fridge, preparing to eat them this morning. I flicked on the kettle, getting it ready to make a cup of tea.

"Thanks Rach," I finally accepted her compliment, determined not to give too much away to her.

"Are you going somewhere nice…date maybe?"

I rolled my eyes because she couldn't see me do it at all and shook my head, knowing that she was watching me.

"Nope…I'm just planning on heading out and grabbing a drink with one of the girls who I was filming with. Samantha her name is…she's back in Los Angeles and she text me to ask if I wanted to go for a drink." I lied, instantly feeling really bad about lying to her, but knowing I didn't have much choice.

Once I had prepared my strawberries, I put them in a bowl and made my tea, before heading over to where Rachael was sat at the table, taking a seat in front of her.

"I don't remember you mentioning a Samantha." She announced, her face furrowed in confusion as she tried to work out if she remember me saying it or not.

"Yeah, well she's an English actress, but she came back out to see if she could get more work, but I thought it would be nice to see her again." I replied, feeling awful about having to lie like this.

I understood it was necessary but it still didn't stop me feeling bad.

Rachael nodded. "Oh…well fair enough, when are you going to meet her?"

I shrugged. "I was thinking in an hour or so. She's got the whole day free, so I thought about making the day of it."

Rachael nodded in response, before she finally smiled. "Well, have fun darling." She insisted, getting up from the kitchen chair.

I grinned in response. "Oh, I'm sure I will, especially after a few lush cocktails." I joked.

She laughed. "Just make sure she's paying!" She teased, making me laugh.

As soon as she left the kitchen though, I sighed heavily in response, feeling so awful that I had to lie to her to keep this a secret. I knew I couldn't help it as the moment I had walked into the kitchen; she had asked me where I was going.

I soon felt excited though, at the prospect of having Rob all to myself for the whole of the afternoon.

It would be nice to spend more time with him and get to know each other a little more, without anyone there to disturb us.

I left about an hour after that, after tidying my room a little bit and making sure I sprayed my Ricci-Ricci perfume before I left.

I hid my eyes behind my Ray Ban sunglasses; mostly because of how sunny it was, but also because it made it easier to hide myself behind my glasses and my hat so that nobody recognised me.

I got into the taxi and told the driver where I wanted to go and it was then that I started to feel really nervous.

Because I realised I hadn't actually spent any time with Rob like this…as nothing more than friends, despite how much chemistry there was between us.

I knew it was stupid as it wasn't as though anything had really changed between us, not really anyway. We had just agreed to see how it went between us and to go on a few dates.

I knew I shouldn't be worrying over silly things but I couldn't help it.

"Right, we're here lady." The taxi driver called from the front of the taxi, instantly getting my attention.

I smiled nervously, passing him through the money and told him to keep the change as I grabbed my cream handbag from the floor and got out of the taxi.

I got out of the taxi and looked up at the house on the right of the road, taking in the beautiful house that stood in front of me.

The gates had already been opened, telling me that he must have seen me get out of the taxi and I headed straight into the gates, taking in the marble walkway that lead me to the front of the house, a dark wooden door.

I took my sunglasses off, clipping it into the front of my dress and knocked hesitantly and waited, feeling really nervous now.

My stomach was completely in knots but it helped knowing that there would be just me and him and no pressure to do or say anything.

Of course, as soon as he opened the front door though, it all went out of the window and I was instantly nervous again.

He looked like a glorious god, stood in the doorway of his house.

His hair was swept back in a messy sort of way, but it really suited him. His hair looked a little lighter in the sun.

He was watching me closely, taking in what I was wearing today and his green eyes literally gleamed in the sunlight, making him look even more handsome than normal.

His mouth turned up into a shy smile in response.

He was wearing a grey tee shirt, which was fitted to his body well, easily showing off his lean figure. He was also wearing light blue, loose jeans.

I looked back up at him and instantly got swept away back into his good looks, a little mesmerised admitted.

"Hey Charlie," he spoke first, his voice soft and tender and it instantly took my breath away.

He took in what I was wearing once again, making me feel a little nervous as he did, before he looked back up at me, smiling nervously.

"You look lovely, by the way." He commented charmingly.

I fought the urge not to blush and simply nodded in response, trying to stay as calm as possible so that I didn't freak out.

I was still so nervous as it was only now that I was just starting to realise that I would actually be spending all afternoon here alone, with Rob…in his house.

"Urm…so do you." I replied awkwardly, still trying to get my head around it all.

He smiled in response, obviously seeing how nervous I was for himself, and held the door open for me to come in.

I accepted the offer with a shy smile, stepping in beside him and trying my hardest to walk as gracefully as possible. He smelt literally so amazing and I heard him sigh deeply from behind me as he shut the door behind him.

"That perfume smells lovely on you too, by the way." He commented, sounding almost as mesmerized I was a moment ago.

I pursed my lips together to fight myself from smiling in response as I turned to take in the house, curious as to where he lived.

His house was open and wide, making the house look huge and really spaced out.

The staircase was to the left of the room, leading up to some rooms at the top, which was overlooking the downstairs hallway and living room.

There was an open space beside the staircase, where a black piano stood, in all of its glory. It looked absolutely beautiful and I couldn't help but smile in response because I almost expected to see a piano. I knew he loved his music just as much as he loved his acting, and I could just imagine him sat at his piano in his spare time, away from all of the paparazzi and the public eye and just…relax.

Beside the piano was two guitar stands, stood next to each other. One held a light brown, acoustic guitar, and the other one held a lovely, sparkling red guitar.

As soon as I saw them, I almost forgot where I was.

I walked over to where the piano and his guitars were, my fingers ghosting over the chords on the red guitar automatically.

"Wow…this is a beautiful guitar," I stated in awe, just staring at it in surprise.

I really wanted to touch it, to play it if I could, but I also knew how important Rob's guitars were to him. He loved music and knowing how much he adored his guitars and his piano frightened me a little bit too much to consider playing it.

"You can play it, if you want."

I instantly looked back over to Rob, to see him watching me with a slight smile on his face, obviously enjoying that I was taking an interest in things that were important to him.

"I…I don't know. I know how important your guitars are to you." I smiled, though I couldn't help but brush my fingers against the beautiful guitar anyway.

"I've heard you play before, you're really, really good." Rob insisted from behind me, sounding certain that I would be fine.

I smiled shyly in response. "I wouldn't say good…"

Rob stepped up to where the guitars were, coming to stand beside me and picked up the red guitar in his hands. I turned to look at him confused, wondering what he was doing.

"Here," he smiled, handing it to me.

I hesitated again for another few moments, terrified that I might actually end up doing something really stupid like break Robert Pattinson's guitar.

"Urm, I'm not-"

"Here," he said again with a smile and I reluctantly took the guitar from him, wrapping the black handle around my neck and taking the guitar in my arms.

"Woooooow," I breathed out in awe, stroking the beautiful skin of the guitar and hearing Rob chuckle from beside me as he took in how in awe I was of this guitar.

I looked back to him with a shy smile. "She really is a beauty." I grinned, making him laugh again in response.

"Yeah, she is," he agreed with delight.

I wasn't too sure what to play despite the fact that she was already in tune and ready to play, so I settled for strumming a few chords, just taking in delight in how beautiful his guitar sounded.

"Wow…she even sounds beautiful." I commented in sheer awe, making him chuckle again in response.

I put her back on the stand and turned to the piano, smiling fondly as I remembered how I had learnt the piano whilst I was rehearsing for Phantom of the Opera. I probably had the best teacher in the UK, given how amazing Andrew was at playing the piano. He was literally outstanding.

"I haven't heard you play the piano yet," Rob spoke from beside me, sounding curious about how well I played.

I smiled in response, knowing where he was going with this. "No, you haven't."

"Maybe you could…play for me now? I'm curious." He confessed.

I shook my head in response, looking up at him to see him staring at me in disappointment. I smiled in response as I sat down at the piano bench and looked back to him.

"I'd rather hear you play…for today anyway. I might have to give you another performance next time." I joked playfully with a smirk, making him chuckle in response.

He headed over to the piano bench, running his hand through the top of his hair awkwardly. "Well I'll definitely take you up on that." He insisted.

He sat down next to me on the piano bench, looking a bit unsure about playing in front of me and I tried to smile reassuringly at him in response.

"I've sort of heard you play before…on the twilight album, I mean. You were pretty amazing." I insisted, making him smile in response.

He pressed his fingers onto the piano keyboards, hesitating for a second, before he started to play.

He sounded so much more amazing then just on some MP3 and I sighed happily in response as he began to play. He was so good, even better than I had first thought he was. His hands worked over the piano keys skilfully; making the most beautiful music you could imagine hearing. It sounded like a lullaby, a sweet, blissful lullaby that lulled you in.

There was no denying I couldn't help but wonder what else those strong, firm hands of his were amazing at.

I flushed awkwardly at the thought, knowing exactly what else they were probably very, very good at.

As soon as the song came to an end, he turned towards me and I could instantly tell he wanted my opinion.

I smiled in response. "I didn't realise how good you actually were." I confessed.

He smiled back at me shyly in response, running a hand through the top of his hair awkwardly again.

"My parents both played the piano…I kind of learnt from an early age." He confessed sheepishly.

I nodded in response. "That's pretty cool. I was just lucky to be taught when I was getting ready for my role in Phantom of the Opera. I was pretty lucky."

He smiled in response. "Did you…erm…want to see the rest of the house?" He asked with uncertainty.

I nodded in response, smiling back. "Yeah, yeah, I would."

I followed him in getting up from the piano bench and turned to look at the rest of the room. There was two armchairs and one sofa sat facing each other, with a glass table sat in the middle of them.

I followed Rob into the dining room of his house, following him down some grey marble steps and into the small area.

Seven leather chairs were sat around a grey marble worktop, with a grey empty vase sat atop the table.

I gazed adoringly out at the large windows around the room, staring out at the beautiful view of his back garden, which lead out to his pool outside.

"Wow….your house is stunning."

He threw a smile at me in response. "I know, I'm pretty lucky to be able to have a house like this, aren't I?"

I nodded. "Definitely are…the view is just gorgeous."

Around the corner from the dining room was a kitchen and I followed the wooden flooring round to a modern looking kitchen, with grey marble table tops and wooden cupboards and drawers.

The fridge was placed to the right of the small kitchen, a stainless steel, large fridge.

On the other side of the kitchen was another small living room, with a U-shaped cream sofa filling the space, and a small glass table sat in the front. There was also a black, flat screen television hung up on the wall.

Rob was stood behind me now, watching me carefully as I headed back into the dining room, taking in the beautiful back garden that it lead out to.

Outside the doors was a small green field and then just beyond that was a silver staircase, leading to a few sunbeds and a large, U-shaped pool.

I moved back into the main hallway, hearing Rob follow from behind me and I paused for a moment as I got over to the staircase, wondering whether to go upstairs or not.

I chewed nervously on my lip before finally deciding to go ahead as Rob had said that I was welcome to look around the house.

I felt nervous as I headed up the stairs though, and the closer I got to the top of the stairs, the more nervous I became.

I could hear Rob following from behind me though, telling me that he was obviously fine with me being nosy or he would have said something beforehand.

I turned to the right in the hallway as I got to the top, seeing that a door was ajar on one of the doors.

I looked back at Rob who was still following me as I got to the door, to make sure it was okay to go in there.

He smiled in response, which instantly gave me the courage.

I pushed the door open and peered inside and instantly froze a little bit in response. It was his bedroom.

I could tell straight away.

On the right of the room was a double bed, with a grey duvet to match the colour of the carpet in the bedroom.

There was a sofa on the left side of the room, pressed against three large window panels, and a door leading out onto a balcony. There was a television to the side of the room, with two white, leather armchairs placed next to it.

His bedroom looked so nicely set out, and I noticed he had a few pictures placed on the ledge of the bedroom, of his family. I smiled fondly, noticing that he had put a few of his awards besides the pictures.

"So…this is your bedroom?" I asked reluctantly, instantly wishing I hadn't asked, because I sounded pretty stupid.

"Err…yeah," he admitted from behind me, sounding pretty sheepish about that. I could tell he was feeling just as embarrassed as me right now, given that I was actually stood in the doorway of his bedroom.

It was a lot neater than I had actually imagined his bedroom to look if I was being completely honest and it was only as I was scanning the room nosily that I vaguely noticed that his balcony door was open, just slightly.

It was ajar and though I knew he was probably just letting some air into his bedroom…I was curious.

I stepped a little further into his room, staring out at the stunning scenery of Los Angeles through the door of his bedroom.

I heard a quiet tapping of feet before his balcony door was pushed further open a little by a tiny, dark paw.

I gasped a little as a small, dark faced little dog shoved his head around the door. He had the cutest little, dark eyes I'd seen and small, triangle shaped brown ears.

His fur was brown with black speckled spots covering most of his fur. His face was the darkest of his fur but he looked so cute and happy as he ran into the room.

I instantly knelt down as he slowly headed over to me, looking a little shy as he sat himself in front of me, watching me with weary, wide eyes.

I smiled in response, lifting my hand slightly and letting him sniff it at first. When he was satisfied, I lifted my hand to his head and stroked his fur lightly. His eyes twinkled a little in response, and he pushed his head up into my hand more.

"Well, aren't you just the cutest little thing!" I smiled.

I absolutely loved dogs and there was no denying how cute Rob's pet was. Of course, I knew the dog's name as I had seen it written in the magazine when he had adopted the dog when he was with Kristen.

I turned back to look at Rob who was watching us with a smile on his face.

"Is this Bear?" I asked curiously.

He nodded in response, watching me sceptically.

I laughed in response as I continued stroking Bear's head. "I read it in the magazine, when you adopted him as a puppy. I thought he looked so cute." I admitted, turning back to look at Bear as he happily accepted my affection. "I absolutely love Cats and Dogs…Dogs more-so. My brother had a Pug named Princess." I laughed.

"I know the name's a little tacky but she was so cute. She was a half Pug-half Terrier so she could breathe better and had longer legs."

"She sounds really cute," Rob agreed from behind me, making me smile.

"Yeah, she was…I always wanted either a Pug or a West Highland terrier for a Pet. But little Bear is definitely just as cute." I quickly insisted, unable to resist smiling as his dark eyes moved to mine as soon as I mentioned his name.

"Did you know I had a West Highland as a pet before I moved to LA?" He asked me curiously, his voice teasing as though he had already guessed the answer to that one.

I smirked in response, avoiding looking back at him. "Well yes actually, I do remember reading that in a magazine too…but I swear to god, I read that one in a magazine too. Wasn't his name Pat or Patty?"

"Yeah, Patty and erm…I believe you." I heard him say behind me, with a complete lack of confidence, telling me he was being completely sarcastic.

I turned back to look at him curiously, to see that he was smirking downwards at me in response to that.

I huffed sourly in response, trying so hard not to grin back in response, because he looked so cute and naughty when he smirked. I got myself up from the floor and headed over to him, surprising him a little bit, before playfully shoving him backwards, though I obviously didn't get very far.

He chuckled in response, running his hand through the top of his hair.

"Hey! I was never one of these fans who were proper obsessed, you know. I did actually have a life before you." I teased, smirking back at him.

He laughed again and nodded, still looking disbelieving about that. "Okay, I believe you." He replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, of course you do." I laughed.

We sat in the living room for a while, talking about university and my plans to come straight back to Los Angeles after I graduated over a nice glass of white wine. I was very impressed with the fact that he had brought me a bottle of Pinot Grigio that I liked the most as it wouldn't really be something I imagined him to really know.

Rob had a small bottle of beer instead as he admitted that he wasn't particularly fond of wine and I couldn't help but smile in response.

He left me with Bear sitting by my feet to go and do something, which he made obvious he didn't want to tell me whatever it was yet.

I flicked through on my phone, replying to a text that Rachael had sent me asking how my day was going.

I put my phone away, turning to smile at Rob in the doorway, as he poked his head round. He looked a little sheepish, instantly making me feel more curious in response.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He smiled nervously, running his hand through the top of his hair awkwardly.

"Urm…yeah…did you fancy going out for some dinner in a bit?"

"Yeah, sure," I grinned. "Why do you look so sheepish?" I asked him curiously, genuinely interested.

His face turned a little red in response, looking really embarrassed and I couldn't help but just stare at him in response, thinking about how cute he looked when he got this embarrassed.

"Well…because I'm so busy with filming and stuff…I normally don't cook, and I guess…I realised just how bad I actually am." He confessed awkwardly, fighting the urge to smile once again.

"Oh, I see," I smiled, trying so hard not to laugh in response.

We decided to go to Pizza Amore and though I was a little worried about Rob being recognised by anyone, especially as he was with me, I felt a little better when he admitted that he often came to this restaurant because he was allowed to sneak into the back of the restaurant and straight into a private booth without being recognised.

I liked the idea of being alone with Rob in a private booth as it would feel more private and I also didn't want to get recognised with him either because we both didn't want anyone to recognised us and realise that we were together.

We went to the restaurant in his car and parked outside the back. As soon as I stepped out of his car though, I felt a little nervous.

I didn't feel as though I was dressed up enough at all and I quickly took my hat off as soon as we headed up the steps to the restaurant, trying to make my hair as presentable as possible.

Rob looked back to me, looking confused as I flapped around nervously. "You okay?" He asked me.

I nodded, looking down at myself awkwardly. "Yeah…I don't look…well, _too_ dressed down, do I?" I asked nervously.

His opinion mattered more to me than anyone else so I guessed it was a good thing he was here for me to ask.

He smiled in response, looking amused by my worries. "Don't be silly, you look _beautiful_." He insisted firmly, instantly taking my breath away.

_Beautiful_…I think that was the first time he had actually called me that. I absolutely loved it too. It made me feel so happy…and so confident too, knowing that he really did think that. I could tell he meant it by how serious he was when he looked at me.

I smiled back in response, instantly feeling more confident now.

I followed him into the restaurant, still flushing badly in response to what he had called me. I couldn't get it out of my head as it was only really now that I was starting to realise that he actually did like me too. I couldn't have avoided the obvious anymore, not with the way he looked at me or when he called me beautiful or whatever.

The booth was in a small, different room to the restaurant and it felt a lot more private and intimate. The booths were furnished with dark leather, making the wooden tables in between stand out even more.

We were directed into the booth by a dark haired waitress, with shoulder length, straight hair. She was wearing a smart black dress and she had bright red lipstick on, matching her heeled shoes.

As soon as she saw Rob, her eyes literally lit up.

She addressed us both to the booth, keeping her eyes on Rob the whole time that she did, whilst fluttering her eyelashes every time he looked at her.

I rolled my eyes in response, knowing she wouldn't notice anything that I did as I sat down at the table, putting down my hat on the booth chair beside me.

She took our order then, keeping her eyes on Rob the whole time she did.

I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio and Rob ordered a beer. She took our dinner orders too, and I ordered a Mushroom Alfredo Pasta as I didn't want to order anything too messy.

"Is there anything else you'd like at all?" She asked in a seductive sort of manner, keeping her body firmly turned to Rob.

I glared at her furiously, wishing to god she would just go away.

"No thank you." Rob replied from in front of me awkwardly, obviously seeing me glaring at the waitress.

She frowned a little but accepted his response and turned to walk away, looking really disappointed.

"Eww," I complained sourly, turning back to look at Rob from across the table and sighing heavily in response to _her_.

He was watching me curiously, a slight smile on his face on realising how jealous I was about her constantly checking him out. His smile instantly made my heart flutter a little in response, but I adamantly ignored that.

"Something wrong?" He asked as innocently as possible.

I huffed sourly, not appreciating his attempt at humour. "I forget how many people find you attractive."

He smirked in response, though he tried to fight it by pursing his lips together.

I watched, instantly chewing on the edge of my bottom lip and really badly wishing I was allowed to kiss him right now. But I knew we couldn't risk it, not in public.

"Do _you_ find me attractive?" He asked; his face serious as he ran a hand through the top of his hair and messed it up even more.

I blushed furiously in response and stared down at my hands instantly, chewing nervously on my lip.

"Like you need to ask." I replied under my breath, knowing he could hear me, but feeling too embarrassed to say it any louder.

"Then that's the only thing that matters to me." He replied casually.

I stared up at him from underneath my lashes curiously, watching him smile at me. "Why?" I asked quietly.

He chuckled in response, pulling on them strands of hair again. "Well I'm going out with you…nobody else. It doesn't concern me what anyone else thinks of me, unless it's to do with my career."

I pursed my lips together now, trying hard to fight a smile in response. I couldn't deny I was delighted to hear that.

But then…I was curious about something.

"Are you…attracted to me?"

His hand leaned over the table, resting against my own.

I instantly froze in response, still trying to get my head around how intense that spark was every time that our skin touched and stared uncertainly at Rob, waiting for him to reply.

"Like you need to ask." He responded, repeating my words from a moment ago.

I smiled in response, appreciating the physical contact before we had to pull away again quickly as the waitress headed back into the room.

Dinner was so delicious but what I appreciated more was being able to talk to Rob and enjoy spending time with him. I knew he was going to be busy with filming over the next few weeks so I might not have seen much of him, but I completely understood. It just made me appreciate any time that I had with him even more.

I couldn't deny I felt a little disappointed when we finally headed out of the restaurant though, because I knew that I would have to head back to my house soon enough.

Rob opened the car door for me like he had all night and this time; I couldn't quite hold back my comment.

"Who would have thought you were just as lovely as your character from twilight?" I teased playfully, making him laugh in response as he ran his hand through his hair.

He headed round to the driver's side and got in, and it was only then that he made a comment back.

"Meh…only sometimes..." he teased, making me giggle in response. "I guess…I'm trying to be a little more like that. I usually forget the important things like that so I'm trying to make more of an effort."

I smiled in response, knowing full well that he could do no wrong in my eyes either way. I didn't even notice things like that normally, but I guessed they were important too. I didn't notice much when I was with Rob though, to be fair.

"I guess…I should drop you off home." Rob sighed heavily as he began to drive out from the car park.

I frowned, really badly wanting to disagree with him, but knowing I couldn't.

"I guess so…if you're too busy over the next few weeks though, I don't mind coming over to your house or whatever if you have any free time."

He nodded in response, throwing a smile at me. "Yeah, I'd like that. I mean, hopefully I'll have some free time to come and see you instead, but I'll let you know."

"Okay cool," I smiled. "You have a really beautiful house, by the way. I kept forgetting to say earlier."

He smiled again in response. "Thank you…it was unusual to see Bear go straight up to you today."

I turned to look at him confused. "Was it?"

"Yeah…he normally takes ages to trust people enough to go up to them."

I nodded in response, listening carefully. "How did you adopt him anyway?"

"Well he was six weeks old when I adopted him and erm…he was in a shelter, in his fourth day and he was basically going to be euthanized the next day."

"You're joking…bloody hell. That was really lucky that you found him then."

He nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it definitely was. He's a lovely dog though, he really is. I was just really surprised that he trusted you as quickly as he had."

I smiled back in response, unable to help myself. I was glad he had, because he was such a cute little dog. I felt glad that Rob had got there when he had and taken him home to safety as he seemed like a lovely little dog.

"Well I'm glad he did; he's a lovely little dog."

"Yeah, he is…obviously a very good judge of character too." He added, still smiling.

"Yeah, I'd say he is." I grinned.

He smiled back, hesitating for a second before he leaned his hand over and took my hand in his. Instantly, my heartbeat quickened in response and a sharp spark flitted through me the moment that our hands touched and a giddy feeling ran through me as he entwined our fingers together carefully.

His hand felt so warm against mine and pleasant too.

As soon as he parked up at the side of the road, just outside my house, I sighed heavily in response.

He looked back to me and smiled sadly in response. "I know how you feel," he announced. "But hopefully, I'll see you soon." He added quickly.

I nodded in response, trying to smile back and look on the positive side of things, rather than the negative.

As he prepared himself to get out of the car, he let go of my hand and I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed about that, even though I knew we had no other choice at all.

We couldn't be caught holding hands as it would have been obvious we were together and both of us didn't want that.

We headed up towards our front door slowly and I looked towards the living room window instantly, hoping that the girls wouldn't look out of the window.

I breathed a sigh as we got to the front door of the house safely and I forced myself to turn back to look at Rob, who looked just as wary as me.

"So…I guess I'll see you again soon then." I smiled.

He nodded, forcing a smile back. "Yeah, yeah, you will."

"And thank you for today as well…I had a really nice time." I insisted.

"Yeah, same…it was nice to spend more time with you…alone, if you know what I mean?" He asked uncertainly.

I nodded, smiling. The truth was that I understood exactly what he meant by that because although it was nice to spend time together with everyone there too, I did like having the chance to spend time with Rob alone too, to get to know him more.

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I think it's nice to spend time with everyone too, but I do think as times like this…it's nice to be alone and get to know each other better too."

He nodded in agreement, looking as though he wasn't sure what to say now.

I took that moment of hesitation and stepped forwards a little, trying to look as brave as possible. I smiled at him as he stared at me uncertainly.

I didn't say anything as I wrapped my arms around him as I didn't really need to. It wasn't awkward as he hugged me back though and I was relieved about that as I wasn't very good with dealing with awkwardness at times.

He smelt literally divine and I chewed on my bottom lip a little as I noticed just how amazing him and his clothes smelt.

In the end, I forced myself to pull back a little, watching him shyly from underneath my eyelashes as I dropped my arms, unsure of what to do now.

He watched me back just as closely, his face serious. A deep intense yearning built within me the minute I saw the look in his eyes though. His green eyes were watching me intensely, a familiar emotion within them.

We both moved forwards at the same time, our mouths colliding quickly as his arms pressed back around me.

My hands found their way to the back of his hair, pressing into the strands and pulling him to me more eagerly as our mouths moved more urgently, getting caught up in each other whilst we had the chance to.

I was lost in all that belonged to Rob; his intoxicating scent, his lean, strong body pressed to mine, and his sweet mouth moving on mine as we continued to kiss. Everything about him was so heady and though I shouldn't, I couldn't help but want more.

How could I not when every limb within my body wanted him.

His mouth was like fire, making me come alive with desire and want and that only increased as he bit down on my lower lip very softly, making me groan instantly in response.

My fingers tangled themselves further into his soft strands of hair, tugging gently in the same way his teeth was tugging on my bottom lip, sending my heartbeat racing even more and making that deep yearning intensify within me.

Like all of our sweet kisses, they had to end though, whether I liked it or not.

Finally, he began to pull away, looking just as resistant as me to do so.

His hands fell away from my body and I instantly pouted a little bit in response as I looked up to him, feeling cold as soon as he pulled himself away from me.

His green eyes smouldered under the small light of our porch way, instantly sending shivers down my spine in response. I was just glad that he was always as affected as I was whenever we kissed, as I sometimes forgot that I wasn't the only one affected.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, as though trying to calm himself down. He opened his eyes again, and I could instantly tell that he wasn't as affected as a moment before.

He smiled shyly at me; his cheeks flush a little bit, as though he was a little embarrassed with what just happened between us.

"I guess I…well, can take it too far sometimes." I confessed shyly, running his hand through the top of his hair.

I smiled back in response, feeling my cheeks getting hotter too.

"It's easily done," I insisted playfully. "I should know."

He smirked in response, amused by my joke. "I guess we both can." He laughed.

I grinned in response, knowing that he definitely had to leave now, but still not wanting him to go.

He stared back at the front door, his face edged in concentration as he did. "Did err…did anyone else know that you were with me today?" He asked curiously.

I flushed a little more and he instantly saw in response.

"Urm…no, I told Rachael I was going out with a girl I met when I was filming." I smiled guiltily. "I just thought they would assume…if I told you I was going to meet you."

He nodded in response. "Yeah, of course…that makes sense. Well, if they were to ever find out about us…they'd understand; why you lied to Rachael I mean. You didn't have much choice, not with Rachael." He smirked.

I laughed, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Well yeah that's true. I doubt she would be able to keep that to herself."

Rob raised an eyebrow in response. "No I dare say she wouldn't."

I laughed again in response, because it was nice to know that Rachael was now getting back to her old self and was getting over Blaine, despite how difficult it might have been for her to do so.

"Anyway," Rob began, sighing heavily. "I better go…before we got caught anyway." He smirked.

I nodded, unable to force a smile back. "Yeah…so I'll see you soon."

He nodded, slowly starting to make his way down the steps just outside the front door of our house.

He turned back to me when he did and forced a smile. "I'll text you." He promised, meaning whenever we could meet up and I nodded again in response.

I watched him leave, knowing that this was something I was just going to have to get used to now that I was with Rob. It didn't bother me though, despite how much I missed him, because it just made me appreciate the time we had together so much more than I would have done.

As he left, I sighed heavily in response, before unlocking the front door and heading indoors. I shut the door behind me and instantly kicked on my slippers, before listening out to see where everyone was.

I heard laughter from the living room so I instantly went through to there, to see how everyone was.

Everyone was there, including Rachael, Jackson, Kellan and Tasha.

Rachael looked up and smiled straight at me. "Did you have a nice day?"

I nodded; taking a seat on the floor, just beside the two sofa's and turned towards the television. They were watching some rom-com film.

"There's some dinner left over if you're still hungry."

I shook my head, turning back to look at Rachael. "Nah, I'm okay, thanks. I had dinner out with Sam."

She nodded, raising an eyebrow in response. "Wow, lucky for some; where was our invite then?" Rachael asked with a huff.

"Rachael!" Tasha complained, laughing.

Rachael grinned at me in response. "I'm only joking, kid."

I smiled back in response, feeling so guilty about having had to lie to Rachael about where I had been all day, despite knowing that it was necessary. I knew exactly what Rachael could be like and I knew she would instantly know that me and Rob were together if I told her that I had spent the whole day with him at her house.

And it was like Rob said too…if things went well between us, then we could always tell them soon enough, when we were ready to…


	15. Teen Choice Awards

**Teen Choice Awards**

Over the next few weeks, Kellan managed to convince me to get myself a temporary agent whilst I continued living in Los Angeles, so that I could get myself more work before I had to go home to university and as I hadn't got any more work, I reluctantly came round to the idea of having an agent.

Kellan put me in touch with his old agent who had actually managed to get him the part of Emmett Cullen in the Twilight saga.

Her name was Amanda Riley and she was only twenty five years old and I trusted Kellan's word on her being a professional and reliable agent.

He agreed to get me to meet her on the night of the Teen Choice Awards, which I would be attending with Kellan as we were both up for nomination for Best Drama Actress and Best Drama Actor.

I was feeling really nervous about attending the event as I knew Kristen Stewart had been nominated for an award there too and I had a feeling that she might have been there too.

It was also the first time that I would be seeing Rob, who was up for nomination for Best Drama Actor too and despite how much I tried to fight away my insecurities, I had a bad feeling about the idea of Rob seeing Kristen again.

I tried to fight away my fears as much as possible, trying to keep busy by helping Rachael with the weekly shopping and attending auditions as much as possible whilst I had free time too.

It would be the first time I saw Rob since our first date at the awards, which meant that I would have not seen him for more than three weeks.

He was away filming in Canada and I couldn't deny that despite my fear of what might happen at the Teen Choice Awards, I missed him terribly and couldn't wait to see him again, despite knowing that we had to play it as cool as possible when we were around each other and other people.

I was getting ready at the hotel near where the Teen Choice Awards were to be held and I was glad to be told that my hotel room was just beside Kellan's, as it meant that I had somebody to walk the carpet with who I actually knew.

The whole cast signed into the hotel early in the morning as we were also up for nomination for Best Drama Movie.

Kellan and me made our way up to our hotel rooms together, taking the lift whilst I tried to get my head around how amazing this hotel was. I'd never stayed in something as posh and glamorous as this before and it shocked me even further to know that we were both staying in the hotel suites, with our own bathroom, bedroom and living room.

It all seemed a little too extravagant if you asked me.

"This is all pretty sweet, huh?" Kellan smirked as soon as we had gotten into the lift, which had more than enough room to fit about fifty people in it.

I turned to look at him and couldn't hold back my laughter in response, which only made him laugh too.

"I think it's completely over the top and not at all necessary but yeah…it is pretty _sweet_." I repeated his words, trying to mock his American accent and instantly making him howl with laughter in response.

"If you want to try and mock me successfully, I might need to give you a few lessons in how to talk more like an American, without sounding idiotic…err, no offence." He quickly added, when I shot him a glare.

"Thanks for the offer, but I have more important things to be doing."

"Like?"

"Like having a life." I replied sarcastically, making him howl with laughter again.

"That's what I always liked so much about Rob." He confessed, still laughing a little bit in response.

I turned to look at him confused, wondering what he meant by that. "Are you saying I look like Rob?" I teased, making him grin.

"Noooo, his sense of humour; it was straight to the point."

I laughed in response. "I guess I get it from my family."

We got out of the lift and headed into the hallway, following it down, before turning to the left and down to where our rooms were.

"I am definitely going shopping before we go to the awards tonight!" Kellan confessed with delight, making me roll my eyes in response.

"God, you're getting as bad as Rachael with going shopping now." I teased.

He paused for a moment as we got to our doors, before laughing in response. "To be fair, you're probably right."

He turned to look at me, a curious expression on his face. "You doing anything today, _bud_?"

I smirked in response. "No, I'm doing nothing but staying indoors and reading my book, _bud_." I repeated back to him, making him laugh again.

"Pfft, boring," Kellan complained sourly. "Come shopping with me for an hour or so…I want to get a nice shirt for tonight."

I giggled helplessly in response, before I could help myself. "So basically, because Tasha's busy…what you're actually asking me is if I could go shopping with you to give a woman's opinion, correct?"

He shrugged. "Meh, pretty much. You know Rachael is…well…very Rachael. A bit too crazy for my liking."

I laughed in response, because there was no denying that was true, no matter how much we all loved her.

"Okay, okay, fine, I'll come with you." I sighed, knowing he wouldn't give in until I said yes to him anyway.

The hotel room looked absolutely amazing. It was really spaced out, with a massive lounge area, a piano sat at the side of the room, and a massive bedroom and bathroom. There was a huge window beside the massive piano, which overlooked the stunning city of Los Angeles.

I sat and read a little bit of Wuthering Heights after getting changed into a plain tee shirt and some denim jeans before a knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

I sighed heavily in response, knowing it would be Kellan asking me if I was ready to go out shopping with him.

I grabbed my bag and headed to the door, pulling it open and smiling at Kellan as I closed the door from behind me.

"Please, _please_ say you're not going to be long shopping." I begged him desperately, as I really didn't want to be spending all day shopping with Kellan Lutz.

For one, I knew Kellan got photographed a lot and even though there was absolutely nothing going on between us, I didn't want loads of paparazzi to start taking pictures of us and getting the wrong idea.

And also, I really wanted to just be on my own for a little while to get my head around tonight, which I still hadn't done.

I was so frightened about tonight because it was my first proper public outing since we had travelled to promote the film.

He groaned in response. "Yes god, then you can get back to your boring book."

"Oy!" I complained sourly, shoving him in the elbow.

We headed out to a shopping centre, just round the corner from the hotel and I couldn't help but feel glad that Kellan went straight into a clothes shop, on a mission to get a nice shirt for tonight with my help.

After looking at a number of plain shirts which didn't look that great on him, he went for a really smart looking, grey shirt which brought out his blue eyes a little more, pairing it with a nice pair of black trousers, and a smart looking black suit too.

I had advised him to go with that shirt, as it looked really nice with his black trousers and suit and he seemed happy and confident in that.

When we got back to the hotel, Tasha was waiting outside his hotel room with a shy smile on her face.

"Hey…Rachael told me you were both staying here; I hope you don't mind me coming to see you." She asked him uncertainly.

I couldn't help but smile in response. Tasha always came across so confident and certain of herself beside when it came to Kellan, of course.

He smiled back in response, looking really delighted that she had come to see him at his hotel room.

"No of course not, it's lovely to see you." He quickly announced. "Err…me and Charlie have just been shopping as I knew you were busy with work."

She nodded, turning to smile at me. "Well, she was probably better than bringing along Rachael. She'd have you turning up tonight with a really jazzy shirt on or something."

Kellan and me instantly laughed in response, due to how we literally had been saying that before we went shopping.

"We were saying that before we went shopping actually!" Kellan admitted, grinning at Tasha in response. "Obviously our great minds all think alike." He teased, flashing Tasha a confident smile.

She giggled helplessly in response.

I grinned, before heading to my hotel room door, realising that they needed time alone together before tonight.

"Erm…Tasha…did you mind helping me get ready in about two hours, before tonight? I kind of need a girl's opinion."

She instantly smiled in response. "Yeah, of course."

"Thank you."

I left them alone to head into his hotel room then as I instantly started to get ready for tonight so that it left time to relax too.

I washed my hair and scrunched my hair up a little before leaving it to dry, so that my hair was wavy for tonight as I didn't want curly or straight hair tonight. My hair was long enough now to make my hair wavy and as I put in a gold headband, I thought it looked nice.

Tasha came round to do my make-up for me as I knew that just like Rachael; she was really good with makeovers.

She left my make-up natural, just how I liked it, flicking out my eyelashes with mascara so that you could tell I was wearing it and it gave me the flirty look as she called it.

She put some baby pink lipstick on my lips, matching some lip gloss with it too.

I thanked her, before I hurried into my bedroom to get changed into the clothes I was planning to walk down the carpet in tonight.

I had a spare dress for the after party tonight as I knew the party was going to be a bit more dressy than the awards.

I got changed into a plain white tee shirt, underneath a golden, sequined jacket, with a pair of black shorts and black, golden studded boots. I put on a golden heart charm necklace with it, to make it look a little more dressy.

I then headed out to see what Tasha thought, to see that Kellan was here now too. They were both sat on one of the black leather sofas and they both instantly looked up at me as soon as I headed over to them.

They both looked a little unsure about what I was wearing, but I thought that despite how dressed up Kellan looked tonight that it didn't look too much.

"Is it not dressy enough?" I asked with a heavy sigh, feeling really anxious about tonight and how I looked.

Tasha instantly shook her head. "No…no, I really don't actually. I always think that the after parties are a lot more dressy than the actual Teen Choice Awards itself. Have you got a dress to put on for the after party?" She asked me curiously.

I nodded, heading back into my bedroom and grabbing the dress I planned on wearing and both Kellan and Tasha nodded in agreement.

"Oh yeah, you'll look beautiful in that tonight, Charlie." Tasha insisted confidently, making me grin in response.

That was exactly what I wanted to hear as I was feeling so nervous about tonight.

It wasn't that I was out to impress anyone or anything like that. I just thought it was important to look as good as possible, especially as I was meeting Kellan's old agent tonight.

Oh, and there was also the fact that I obviously wanted Rob to think I was as gorgeous as possible, especially given how long it had been since I had last seen him.

Kellan stayed with me in my hotel room as Tasha left an hour before we were due to be called out on the carpet and as the time began to get nearer and nearer to us being called, I began to feel more and more nervous.

I started pacing the room, waiting anxiously and chewing nervously on my nails, despite how Tasha had painted them a lovely golden colour.

Kellan sighed from behind me as he sat casually on the sofa, not really too bothered about any of this. But then again, he was more than used to it by now, where as I certainly wasn't.

"Calm down, you'll be fine." He insisted coolly, and I huffed sourly in response. It would be a whole lot easier for me to have his calm and carefree attitude but I just didn't.

"I don't know about that. What if I slip up or even worse, what if I trip up? Oh god, people might end up hating me when they see me, and-"

"Charlie!" Kellan snapped, instantly getting my attention because I was so surprised by that. "Just chill out and stop overthinking things! I bet you were panicking all this morning about coming shopping with me because you might get spotted by paparazzi too, wasn't you?" He guessed.

I chewed on the bottom of my lip nervously and nodded in response.

He rolled his eyes in response to that. "Look…if there's one thing I've learnt by being in this business, it's that you can't concern yourself with what other people think about you all the time. Of course it's important to care a little as it's the industry you're in, but worrying yourself sick all the time isn't going to help anyone."

I nodded, knowing he was right.

He sighed heavily, patting the seat beside him. "Just come and chill out and try not to think too much about it."

Knowing he was right, I came and sat down beside him, trying my best to take my mind off of it by reading my book, but it was just no good.

I threw my book back down, making him sigh heavily in response as he continued reading the magazine he had brought this morning.

"Look, I can't help but worry. You know, even Rob hasn't text me today to say that's he's coming home or that he's got back or anything."

Kellan flashed me a confused look as soon as I had said that. "Why would he text you to say he's coming back anyway?"

My face instantly flared up, my cheeks going a bright red in response. I had to really think about what to say in response to me slipping up and quickly too.

"Erm…well, we've just been getting closer recently and I just assumed that he would. We were really getting along, and…well, he kind of made it obvious that he wanted to be more than friends."

He nodded in response, a smile ghosting his lips.

"Oh, I see, well that makes more sense." He smirked. "Well you never know…maybe Rob kept off texting you until he got back."

"Yeah, but we've only got a little longer until we're needed. Surely he would have been back by now."

He shrugged. "Well, I guess so…look, if you're that bothered, why don't you text him to ask what he's up to?"

I huffed sourly in response. "Won't that just look a bit desperate?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "Of course it won't, silly. If you like each other, why shouldn't both of you text each other? It was the same with Tasha and me."

I glared suspiciously at him. "Oh yeah…and what is going on with you and Tasha exactly? You looked pretty close earlier on."

He chuckled throatily in response. "We're just seeing how things go for the moment…taking it slow, you know."

I nodded. "Well I'm glad; she's an absolutely lovely girl and deserves to be happy."

"Yeah, she really is," he agreed quickly, smiling fondly as he agreed with me.

I could tell Kellan really liked Tasha and I was so glad as she really did deserve to be happy with someone who would treat her with respect and I could tell Kellan definitely would.

"Anyway, text Rob and ask him what he's up to." Kellan quickly added, making me smile in response.

I relented but it took me ages to work out what to even say. Eventually, I just wrote what was on my mind instead.

**Hey, it's Charlie. I was just wondering if you'd got back to America yet. Looking forward to seeing you tonight. Take care. X**

I showed Kellan the text I was about to send and he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's simple and straight to it, and it doesn't make you sound too desperate either which is always a good thing." He grinned mischievously.

I laughed and hit send, glad that it didn't sound too much at the very least.

We were called down to go on the carpet then and I instantly started freaking out as soon as we left the hotel room together.

Kellan took my hand in his, just trying to be supportive as I tried to calm myself down.

I smiled at him with gratitude, appreciating him trying to calm me down. I wasn't sure what I would have done if he wasn't there because I was pretty sure I might have freaked out.

When I told Kellan this, he laughed in response.

"I'm pretty sure you would have been fine if Rob was the one holding your hand." He giggled naughtily.

I huffed. "Actually, I think it would have made it worse. I can hardly react well or think clearly when I'm around him as it is."

He turned to grin at me in response. "Oh yes, I forgot about you almost fainting because you forgot to breath when you met him."

I glared furiously at him. "Yeah cheers for bringing that up and consequently reminding me of that one."

That instantly made him howl with laughter in response.

We couldn't actually walk down the carpet together which I was less than delighted about but accepted it nevertheless as I understood completely.

Kellan went before me, mainly because he was more famous than me and he knew that his enthusiasm for this kind of thing would make the crowd go wild and that they might be more hyped up for when I made an appearance given that nobody knew who I was.

I felt so silly as I walked on the red carpet, posing for pictures as it just wasn't me at all. But instead of posing, I just smiled in response as it made me feel less silly. I wasn't really a 'posing' girl and whenever I did, I just felt so stupid.

Other ladies who attended the event looked so glammed up and pretty and I instantly felt a little insecure with how I looked. I couldn't wait until we were in the venue and sitting down so it wasn't such a worry about what everyone else thought of me and what I looked like.

The journalists who interviewed me were lovely and I was more than glad that they didn't ask any real personal questions as I was already feeling insecure about how I was getting on right now.

As soon as we walked into the venue though, Kellan wrapped an arm around my neck, pulling me to him playfully. I smirked at him in response, though that quickly turned into a frustrated sigh as he fisted the top of my hair playfully.

I instantly pulled away, groaning in disgust.

"Kellan, seriously! Thanks for messing my hair up." I complained sourly, brushing down my hair.

He chuckled throatily in response. "You did well on the red carpet by the way. I know how scared you were, but you were absolutely fine." He insisted confidently, though I didn't believe that at all.

I thanked him anyway, before we went to go and sit down at the front, where the rest of the cast was sat.

I was feeling absolutely terrified as the awards started because not only were they live, but the presenters this year were Ian Sommerhalder and Nina Dobrev.

There was no denying I thought they were amazing actors and I had almost grown up with seeing them on Vampire Diaries and was a huge fan of both of them. The very thought of collecting an award from them was enough to send chills down my spine and send me all dizzy with excitement.

There wasn't much time to think about that though as our name was called out for Best Drama and the whole of our cast was instantly up, all of us in shock. None of us had actually believed that we would win as the movie was relatively new and unheard of.

I was so proud of us all winning though because we had all worked extremely hard to get the award.

And even better was the fact that our award was presented by lovely and equally stunning Katy Perry, who instantly made me feel insecure the moment I stepped onto that stage.

The night was made even better when Kellan won best Drama Actor because he truly was brilliant and so hard working too and he thoroughly deserved it.

I really didn't think I would win Best Drama Actress as not only did I think I was good enough compared to some of the other Actresses nominated, but I wasn't very well recognised by anyone either yet.

Paul Wesley of the Vampire Diaries would be presenting the award for it and as soon as he walked out I couldn't help but smile again in response.

The three of them up there was like my dream come true and if I won the award too, it would just be like…well, every single dream come true.

I really wasn't expecting to win though as I didn't believe in luck at all so when they called my name out; I actually sat there in shock for another moment, too frozen to get up.

"Go on!" Kellan warned from beside me, pushing me from my seat and instantly wakening me up and making me realise that it wasn't just a crazy dream.

I stood up from the chair, trying to walk as gracefully as possible, which was very difficult given how much my legs were shaking.

I walked as carefully as possible up the stairs to the stage and smiled warily at Ian, Nina and Paul who were all waiting for me.

I accepted the award before turning to the stand, unsure of what to say exactly. Everybody in the room was turned towards me, waiting for me to say something.

"Urm…I'm not really sure what to say," I confessed sheepishly, running my hand through the top of my hair automatically. "I really didn't expect this award because I really didn't think I deserved it. There was so many amazing actresses up for nomination so I really, really appreciate everyone who voted for me because it really does mean a lot. Thank you very much."

I left it as that as I wasn't very good with speaking in front of people and I thought that that wasn't too awkward either.

As soon as the awards were over, there was the after party straight after and I was feeling so anxious about that.

I went straight back to the hotel, taking off my headband and putting on the dress that I had gotten out to wear for tonight.

It was a blue, bodycon style dress, with V-neck top and thick straps.

I paired the dress with a pair of beautiful, sparkling silver heels. There was a pretty, oversized bow at the front of them too.

I headed outside then, grabbing a taxi which was already waiting outside the front of the main entrance of the hotel.

The after party was at the Rolling Stones Lounge on Hollywood Boulevard.

As soon as I gout of the taxi, I felt like I might actually faint. I felt so nervous as for me, this was the worst part of the night.

I showed the bouncer my I.D to prove who I was and was allowed in straight away and I was guided through to a large lounge area. It looked like such a cool nightclub, with large rounded booths at the side of the room and large chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling.

As soon as I was there, I instantly looked around for Kellan, trying to get used to the very loud music playing in the background. The music was too loud, too much like club music but it was only for one night thank god.

I found Kellan stood in the middle of the dance floor, talking to a very pretty looking young lady.

She had on a black, smart-looking, peplum dress with red heels, to match the vibrant lipstick she had on.

She had long, dark hair which was curled vibrantly. The ends of her hair were a few shades lighter than the rest of her dark hair as though she had dip-dyed the ends of her hair. She was a very slim girl but she was obviously a very good friend of Kellan's as she was laughing along with whatever he was saying.

I headed over to see them and as soon as Kellan saw me, he waved me over eagerly, obviously wanting me to meet her.

He got us both to follow him outside into the main hallway part of the club where it wasn't so loud so that we could talk properly.

"Charlie, this is Amanda Riley, the agent I was telling you about and Amanda, this is Charlotte Higgins, A.K.A Charlie, the girl who I said had moved here from the U.K." He introduced the two of us quickly.

She turned to look at me and smiled politely, offering me her hand.

"Hey, it's lovely to meet you." She commented graciously in what sounded like a Northern American accent.

"Yeah, you too," I insisted, kissing her on the cheek before pulling away again.

"I'll leave you two to talk…did you want another glass of wine?" He turned and asked Amanda politely.

She nodded. "Oh yes please babes."

I couldn't help but smile in response as I had never heard anyone call Kellan 'babes' in my entire life.

"And you Charlie?"

"Urm….I'll have a glass of medium dry white wine please."

He grinned in response. "Very precise."

I laughed, before turning back to look at Amanda, unsure of what to say now. She looked just as uncertain as me, so I cleared my throat and just said what was on my mind.

"So…am I mistaken in saying you're accent…it sounds like a Northern American accent?"

She raised an eyebrow but nodded after a moment. "Yeah, I'm from Seattle. That's a pretty good guess."

I shrugged in response. "And from my accent, it's probably more than a little obvious that I'm from England."

She smirked. "Just a bit."

"Did Kellan mention why I'm out here?"

She shook her head; taking a sip of the glass wine she still had the hand. "He did mention that you were planning on staying here for a little while, before going back to the UK, but he didn't say why."

I nodded. "Basically, I'm a student at university back in England. I'm studying Drama and Creative Writing and I've got six months free after my first year. I'm planning to go back there to finish my course and then come straight back out here to live and carry on with my career."

She nodded in response, looking intrigued. "Oh awesome, so why did you decide to come to LA in the first place?"

"Urm…well, I always wanted to visit LA, as it was somewhere I'd never been to before. And because I had six months to myself, I thought it was the perfect time to finally come here, especially that I got the offer to film over here too."

She nodded in response. "Yeah, Kellan did tell me that bit. So…have you had much experience back in the UK then?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I was in the West End for nine months, playing Christine in Phantom of the Opera."

Her eyes widened in response, looking impressed with that. "Oh that's so cool! So you must be such a good singer then?"

I shrugged awkwardly, because I always felt so unsure about my singing despite winning the role as Christine in the first place.

"I guess so," I smiled.

She nodded, watching me seriously. "Well to be honest that is a good thing too, I think. If you can do more than just act or whatever, then it gives me more chances to find auditions suitable for you."

I nodded, unable to fight the huge smile in response to that because this was the news I wanted to hear more than anything.

"Okay great."

Kellan was back with the drinks in his hands then, looking between us curiously, with a shy smile on his face.

"So what do you reckon to this one?"

Amanda laughed in response, rolling her eyes as she put her glass down and took the new glass of wine from him.

"Honestly Kellan," she laughed. "But yes, I am very impressed and I'm very excited at the prospect of being her agent." She confessed, turning to grin at me.

I grinned back, accepting the glass of wine in Kellan's hand and instantly taking a large sip from it.

"Great," he grinned, looking almost as excited as me.

Amanda laughed in response. "I'm just going to go and speak to a few people. I'll be back in a bit." She promised sweetly.

I was so glad that she had decided to leave as there was one question I desperately wanted to ask Kellan, because I missed Rob so much and I desperately wanted to see him again. I knew that if anyone knew where Rob was, it had to be Kellan.

"Have you seen Rob?" I asked Kellan anxiously as soon as Amanda had walked away from where we were stood.

Kellan grinned in response, rolling his eyes as I continued to sip on my glass of wine, watching him carefully as I waited for a response.

"Yeah, I saw him come in about ten minutes ago. I think he went to talk to some people, but I can go and look for him, if you want? I know how desperate you are to see him again." He teased, smirking at me.

I frowned, unappreciative of the joke. "Very funny…and anyway, nobody knows I know him so wouldn't it be less suspicious if you like…introduced us or something? Make it look as though I'd only just met him or whatever."

He nodded in response, thinking carefully about that. "Actually, I think you might be right there, kiddo. Good thinking genius." He grinned.

I didn't appreciate being called kiddo one single bit but I accepted it nevertheless and watched him walk off as he went to go and see if he could find Rob for me.

I took another large sip of my glass of wine, pretending to play around on my mobile as I waited on my own for Kellan to come back, feeling a little awkward stood on my own.

As soon as I spotted Rob, I felt like my heart was in my mouth. My heartbeat was racing so fast that it felt like it would explode and there felt like there was a huge ball of nerves within my belly and the closer that he got, the bigger the ball of nerves became, making me feel more nauseated in response.

He looked over to me and instantly took my breath away, without even trying.

In the three weeks that he had been away, I had somehow forgotten just how good looking he actually was. And the minute I had seen him again, I realised just how much I had missed him and being with him.

He smiled over at me and I could tell by how hesitant his smile was that he was trying not to make anyone suspect by being too friendly or whatever. We had to just keep being careful about people.

He was wearing a blue and black, chequered shirt paired off with some casual, light blue jeans. He had on some polished black, smart-looking shoes too.

Blue looked really nice on him and made him look so much more handsome too, especially with his hair untamed and wild from where he had been running his hand through it.

Kellan headed straight over to me with Rob in tow, trying to be as careful as possible.

"Hey Charlie, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Robert Pattinson, and this is Charlotte Higgins."

He smiled fondly at me, still trying to keep his distance as we shook hands, trying to make it look good.

"She's new out here, only moved out a few months ago from England. I thought who better than to introduce her to someone else who knows what it's like to move out here too." He grinned.

Rob chuckled in response, playing along with him and I smiled politely at Rob, as though I would to any stranger, despite how much he affected me so, whatever he did.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Kellan quickly added, winking mischievously at me as he did, as though that was some sort of sign to give us both some space to each other.

I smiled at him fondly, really, really appreciating that.

I took a big sip on my wine and turned to look at Rob as we stood at the side of the hallway, trying to avoid anyone looking at us.

Rob sighed heavily in response as we stood quite close to each other, so that we didn't have to talk as loudly.

"God, I missed you." He confessed sadly, keeping his voice down as much as possible.

I smirked a little in response, pursing my lips together to stop myself from making it obvious to everyone within the room how delighted I was to hear that from him.

I ducked my head instead and replied quietly. "Good, I missed you too."

That was pretty much an understatement.

"I guess…not long until I can come and see you properly. That's one good thing." He reminded me, sounding relieved by that. "I can come by tonight if you want? It might be a bit late…but I'm guessing everyone will already be in bed." He suggested, trying so hard to keep his voice down as much as possible, which wasn't hard given how loud the music is.

I looked back up at him, feeling a little surprised in his suggestion. He was watching me carefully, a slight smile on his lips.

"What as in…to stay?" I asked uncertainly.

He nodded, running a hand through the top of his hair, before shrugging quickly. "Well, I mean…it's up to you. I know everyone goes out in the morning as they have work early and…well, I might end up being a little busy tomorrow so it would be nice to spend time with you whilst I can."

I grinned in response, because there was no way I could say no to that. I wanted to spend as much time with him as physically possible.

"You look beautiful tonight, by the way." He quickly added, smiling fondly at me before his eyes moved downwards, addressing what I was wearing properly and instantly sending shivers down my spine in response.

I instantly smirked again, my cheeks flushing a little bit in response as I was more than glad to hear that he thought that.

"Well you look very handsome tonight too," I insisted, wiggling my eyebrows at him playfully. "Do you even know how badly I want to kiss you right now?" I confessed a little sheepishly, drinking some more wine to give me enough confidence to carry on with that.

I chewed on the edge of my bottom lip as I addressed them beautifully sculptured lips of his, unable to stop myself feeling impatient.

He smirked a little in response before he quickly controlled his features as somebody walked past us.

As soon as they were gone though, he looked back to me and smiled. "Oh don't worry; there'll be plenty of time for that later."

I giggled helplessly in response, finding him even sexier when he was being cheeky.

My smile was instantly wiped off of my face as I looked towards the front door which was just over ten feet away from us.

Kristen had just walked into the front door of the venue, in a black dress. The top was a leather strapless top, with black sorts, underneath a maxi skirt.

Her hair was down, flowing over her left shoulder, and had been curled so that her hair looked vibrant.

She looked really pretty and I couldn't help but feel jealous, knowing that Rob and her had a past and he was only just starting to get over her.

She didn't look over here once which I was more than glad about and instead, smiled at someone in the lounge, instantly stepping further into the room and out of view from where we were stood.

Rob noticed how serious I looked, having seen that I had been staring at the door for a few minutes and he instantly looked round, trying to work out what I was staring at.

"What's wrong?" He asked me confused, looking back round at me.

I forced a smile, looking back at him and shook my head, trying to pretend that I was okay. I didn't see any good in telling him that she was here as I knew it probably wouldn't help him knowing at all.

"Nothing," I insisted as confidently as I possibly could, before I instantly took another sip of my glass of wine, really hoping he wouldn't bump into her.

We knew it would look a little suspicious if I spent all night talking to Rob so we moved over to the bar where Kellan was sat at one of the barstools and started talking to him. I was still sitting next to Rob though, which was better than nothing.

Kellan was making us laugh as he took a shot of Tequila, taking it like a man as only Kellan knew how.

"Hey…Rob!" I heard a lady shout from behind us and I instantly sighed heavily in response, knowing exactly what was going to happen next.

Rob turned around confused to look to see who had shouted him and his eyes instantly fell on Kristen, who was stood less than five feet away from us.

She was staring at him in shock, as though she didn't actually believe that it was him and she smiled fondly in response.

I turned to look at Rob to see him staring at her just as fondly and instantly I began to feel really sick and nauseated and wished to god that she had just not been here or I hadn't come…

"I didn't realise it was you. It's great to see you!" She insisted, stepping forwards a little bit so she didn't have to shout so much.

I watched the two of them closely, watching his reaction as she said that.

He just smiled back in response; that same gleam in his eyes.

I actually felt like I was going to be sick but yet I couldn't seem to take my eyes from the two of them.

"Yeah you too…you look great." Rob replied, looking unsure of what to say.

She smiled like I did whenever he paid me a compliment and I couldn't hold back glaring at her in response, suddenly feeling completely insecure as they had a conversation between themselves whilst Kellan and I looked on.

"Urm…did you want to sit down for a bit? It would be nice to catch up with you….it's been ages since I last saw you." She insisted with that same damn smile again.

"Urm…" he replied uncertainly, looking between me and Kellan. "Ur, yeah sure," he insisted, following her over to where she had been sat down and leaving Kellan and me sat alone on the bar stools.

I stared after them, glaring angrily at both of their backs as I watched them sit down together, talking busily amongst themselves. Obviously, I couldn't have been glaring at her enough when she had come over to speak to him because he clearly couldn't have seen how pissed off I was with how much cheek she had in doing it.

I barely even noticed Kellan moving over next to me as I was too busy watching the two of them get close yet again.

"Ur…look Charlie, I know you're fretting but I wouldn't worry, you know. I've seen the way Rob has been staring at you all night."

I raised an eyebrow in response, highly doubting everything he said because the first thing I felt when it came to him and Kristen was insecurity because I knew that despite how much he wanted to deny it, he still held a little torch for her whether he was moving on with his life or not.

As soon as the barman came over to us, I took my order.

"Can I have tequila shot please?" I asked, watching him as he headed over to go and get it for me.

I clearly heard Kellan sigh heavily from beside me despite how loud the music still was, but I didn't turn to look at him as I didn't want his opinion on the matter. If I wanted to get through tonight, something told me that drink might just about help me, given how sick it made me feel to see the two of them together.

"Charlie…" Kellan warned me seriously, but I quickly interrupted him before he had the chance to say anything more.

"What exactly? You can't tell me that I'm just seeing things or whatever Kellan because everyone can see how close they look." I insisted.

To confirm that, I looked back round at Rob and Kristen to see what they were doing. They were sat quite close or at least, I thought they were anyway.

She was smiling and nodding to whatever he was saying and she placed a hand on his arm, as though comforting him about something or whatever.

I felt physically sick, I literally felt like throwing up because just seeing them together made me feel awful.

I wasn't stupid and I knew it had taken him months to get over her and I had a feeling that seeing her again was definitely not going to do him any good to say the least.

Kellan looked over to where I was looking, seeing how close they were sat together. He looked back round at me and I forced my eyes back towards Kellan to see what he thought. He was watching me closely and I sighed heavily in response.

"You can't tell me that they don't look close."

He shrugged in response, brushing it off quickly. "Whether or not they do, Rob wouldn't cheat on you…he wouldn't cheat on anyone, he's not like that. When he was with Kristen, he was really devoted to the relationship. When it was obvious it wouldn't work between the two it took him ages to get over it."

I couldn't help but huff in response to that comment because I was starting to figure that out for myself.

"Look…it's not even that I'm that scared that Rob will cheat on me. To be honest…it took him so long to get over her in the first place and…well, I'm just not sure if I want to be second best all the time."

"But you're not!" Kellan quickly insisted.

"But I am, Kellan!" I disagreed just as quickly. "She lives in Los Angeles for god sake so whatever we do; we'll probably bump into her quite a lot. And if he isn't completely over her like I'm certain he's not…I'm not sure I can handle having to deal with this every time that we see her or whatever. It just makes me feel uncomfortable because I know Rob still misses her and despite what everyone says, I can tell he definitely does."

Kellan sighed in response, knowing he couldn't exactly disagree with me about that and as soon as he confirmed that for me, I grabbed the tequila shot which the barman had just put down and knocked it back, hoping that the burning sensation of the alcohol would ease the pain slightly.

It didn't.


	16. The Right Thing?

**The Right Thing?**

I watched as they sat together for ages, busy chatting and catching up just like Kristen had wanted to and the more that he was sat over there with her, the more I couldn't stand watching them.

It was starting to really get to me because they really were sat a little too close to each other and as midnight started to draw in, I really couldn't stand to watch any more.

I got up quickly, grabbing my handbag from beside me before I ended up stopping myself from leaving.

"Wait…what are you doing?" Kellan asked from beside me in shock, getting up from where he was stood too.

I pointed at Kristen and Rob with my head, giving him my answer. "I can't watch them together anymore."

Kellan sighed heavily from beside me, looking as though he believed I was just being silly about it all now.

"Kellan, he's been sat with her for nearly two bloody hours! I'm not being over rational here." I growled angrily.

I turned to look at the two of them; to see that they hadn't even bothered to look over here to see that I was going to that in itself told me how bothered Rob was about me.

"If Rob was that bothered about me, he would have noticed that I was getting up to leave but he hasn't."

"I know, I know, but just let me go and speak to him, okay?" Kellan tried.

"No, Kellan! You shouldn't have to go and speak to him, he should work out that I'm not okay with this for himself. They went out together for more than five years so I doubt anyone else in my shoes wouldn't feel jealous about that, given how close they look."

Kellan frowned. "Look…just stay for another drink at least, please buddy."

I shook my head adamantly, because the truth was, I really didn't want to stay for another minute longer. I felt physically sick seeing the two of them together and what made it worse was how much time he was spending with her. It wouldn't have been so bad if they said a simple _hey, how you doing_ or whatever but she had made it obvious that she wanted to spend her time talking to him and seeing how he was and given how close they were, I very much doubted he mentioned he wasn't exactly single anymore, especially not to her.

"All I want to do Kellan is go home, feel sorry for myself and see what tomorrow brings. I don't even think I want to talk to him right now." I confessed, frowning angrily at Rob who was still too busy talking to her to notice anything else.

Kellan nodded again. "Maybe you should just let him know that you're going?" He tried.

I huffed. "No chance…anyway, I doubt he'll even notice me leave."

I headed straight to the door of the club, not bothering to look around to see if Rob had in fact seen me leave.

As soon as I was outside the club, I pursed my lips together, biting down hard on my bottom lip to stop myself from crying as I quickly headed past a small crowd of paparazzi. The last thing I wanted to do was be caught crying in front of them.

"Charlie."

As soon as I heard him say my name, I instantly turned around to see him coming out of the club, looking as though he had practically raced after me. I looked towards the paparazzi uncertainly, not too sure on what to do.

Rob nodded over to a gazebo style tent which they had set up just beside the club, which looked empty from here.

"Can I chat to you about something, Kellan mentioned that you had just got this really cool movie deal and I wanted to ask you about it." He lied, staring at me warily as though I might actually say no.

As if I could ever say no to him.

I nodded, quickly walking away from the small crowd of paparazzi and straight into the tent, hearing Rob follow behind me.

The tent was completely empty besides there being a few bags and coats hung up on rails but it blocked most of the sound out from outside, which I was glad given that we could talk properly without anyone really hearing us.

I sighed heavily, quickly wiping away the silly tears that had slipped from my eyes as I had my back turned to Rob because I didn't want him think I was even more stupid than he already thought I was.

"Why…were you leaving? You didn't even say goodbye to me." He asked me confused, sounding as though he genuinely didn't know what was wrong with me.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and took in a deep breath as I tried to keep myself calm, because I could tell that Rob genuinely didn't believe he had done anything wrong. I understood, because in his eyes he probably didn't think he hadn't at all but I wished to god he did realise what was wrong for himself.

I was embarrassed with having to spell it out to him because part of me kept telling myself I was just being stupid.

"I didn't say goodbye to you as you looked a little busy already." I snapped, before I could stop myself.

I turned round to look at him to see him staring at me a little wounded, as though I had insulted him by saying that.

I instantly looked down at my feet, feeling guilty myself as soon as I saw him staring at me in such a way.

"You can't seriously think…" he began, unable to finish that sentence.

"But that's exactly what I think, Rob." I insisted, keeping my eyes on the floor as I chewed on my bottom lip.

I really didn't want to do this, to talk about this with him as I had a feeling that this would only end badly, but I knew I had to.

"But…we were just talking."

"You were sat _just talking_ with her for over two hours so whatever it was that you were both talking about must have been very interesting." I snapped angrily. "Well…you certainly looked very interested anyway."

"Charlie, listen…" he started, trying to step forwards so that he was stood closer to me and instantly, I stepped backwards a little. Not because I didn't want to be near him or anything like that, but…because I knew that unless I put distance between us, then I would just end up telling him that it was fine and to forget about it.

It was too easy to do that with him, but I knew I couldn't this time. Every time he talked about her, every time he saw her…he changed. And I didn't like it.

He frowned miserably in response, looking thoroughly disappointed that I had moved away from him but took a deep breath and tried speaking again.

"She was giving me advice about my career."

I huffed before I could help it, but quickly shut up as he stared across at me, hurt still reflected in his eyes in response to that.

I quickly stared down at my hands, turning them nervously and waiting patiently for him to speak.

"She mentioned that they were holding auditions for this movie in a few days' time and she gave me the address for it. Her agent mentioned it to her as she wanted her to go and audition too, but she turned it down in the end. It sounds like a really good movie though and if I get the part, there are few movies that they're keen to give the go ahead too so it will give me more work in the future too."

I nodded, still feeling ridiculously jealous about the fact that she could still do that for him and I couldn't. It made sense that she had connections given that she was just as famous as Rob now, but it made me feel useless, knowing that she could do stuff like that for him and probably use that as an excuse now.

"Right," I replied, not sure what else to say.

I heard him sigh heavily in response to my lack of enthusiasm, but I refused to look back up at him. It would only make things more difficult, especially for me.

"Look, I understand why you're upset, of course I do. I should have spent more time with you tonight so I'm sorry."

I shrugged. "But you didn't though, did you."

"What do you want me to say, Charlie?" He finally snapped, sounding really agitated and frustrated. "I said I'm sorry, I didn't know you were feeling like this."

I looked up to see him watching me closely, looking completely frustrated, as though he didn't know what to do or say to make it up to me.

I smiled awkwardly despite myself not wanting to, because I wasn't happy in the slightest but seeing him so upset and confused only made me feel sorry for him as I could tell he clearly didn't realise he had done anything wrong.

"I always feel like this whenever you talk about _her_." I replied calmly, watching him closely to see how he would react to that.

He stared at me confused, wondering what I meant by that.

"Every time you talk about her or mention how you broke up or whatever…you get upset a little without even realising you are. Like today, when you saw her you looked completely shocked…but you looked sad too."

He sighed heavily again in response, as though I was being ridiculous. "Charlie that isn't true at all-"

"Yes, it is and you can deny it all you want but even now, I can tell you hate talking about her. I understand though, I really do. Because I know she cheated on you and I know it's still probably a little raw for you right now but I….just don't think I can do this." I finally snapped.

His eyes instantly widened a little in response and he watched me closely for a long moment, trying to work out whether I was serious about that or not.

As soon as he realised I was, his forehead creased and he stared at me in shock, the hurt burning within his eyes.

"Charlie please, I really, really like you." He begged, stepping forwards and trying to get closer to me but I instantly stepped backwards, because I knew as soon as he was to be anywhere near me, I would automatically change my mind and I was trying to do the right thing.

Instead, I stared down at my shoes, getting on with what I had to say, despite the huge lump that was forming in my throat.

"Look okay…I'm moving back to the UK in a couple of months anyway and she lives here and I just think that if we stay together any longer it will just get more complicated. We won't be able to maintain a long distance relationship, not for two years and…well; I can tell she makes you happier."

"You're so wrong though. Yes, I was struggling to get over her for a while but I really, really like you-"

"Don't lie to me!" I exclaimed before I could hold it in, instantly looking up at him the minute that a few small tears began to slip past my eyes. "Oh god!" I complained, quickly turning away from him and rubbing them away from my eyes before Rob could see them.

"Charlie, please," Rob begged softly from behind me, pressing his hand to my left shoulder and trying to turn me around.

I instantly moved away from him, desperately trying to hold back the tears I could feel were threatening to spill over. It was so hard to do this, harder than anything I had ever done in my life but I knew deep down that I didn't make him happy and in the long run, I could see that I would be the one getting hurt and I couldn't risk that. I was convinced that he would end up realising that Kristen was really the one for him.

From the sound of it, she knew him better than I did anyway.

"Look, I'm trying to help you here!" I warned him desperately, because I really did believe that I was.

It was literally killing me, the thought of Rob being with someone else, especially _her_, because I knew how much he had loved her.

But I was more than willing to sacrifice my own happiness for him, because I cared about him and his feelings and I really did think that in the long run, he would have been a lot happier and a lot more satisfied with her.

"But you're seriously not though! I don't want to be with her. I'll admit that it's still hard seeing her, but there is zero chance of us getting back together-"

"You just admitted that it's still hard seeing her and that's obviously because you obviously still love her."

"You aren't even listening to me-"

"I am listening to you!" I exclaimed in frustration, forcing myself to turn back round to look at him.

I could clearly see that he was still hurt by my decision and I could tell he was still prepared to fight me against this, which only made me feel worse.

"I'm really not trying to hurt you, Rob." I insisted, choking back on a sob before it could be heard. "But I just don't see any future for us…not with me over in the UK for two years, studying hard with no time on my hands and you over here, working on your own career and being really busy."

"I go back to London at least every couple of months, so if things did go well between us, we could always meet up then."

"My university is in Leicester and it still doesn't solve our problem. Leicester is over two hours away from London."

He rolled his eyes in response. "Now you're just making excuses and do you know what…I'm getting a little sick of it. If you really don't want to be with me Charlie, then just be bloody honest and say it."

He ran his hand through the top of his hair, tugging on the strands roughly in irritation.

I stared at him in shock, wondering how the hell he could even think that, given how much I didn't want to do this. I really, _really_ liked Rob but I wanted him to be happy and at the moment, I really didn't believe he wasn't entirely happy with me.

"Of course I want to! I'm just saving us both the hurt in the long run when you realise that whatever we have is actually not worth sticking around for and then you go running back to Kristen-"

"Why won't you believe me when I say that that isn't going to happen?" He complained in exasperation.

"Because I'm not enough! You've been going out with me for less than five minutes but you went out with her for over five years. Even when you met me, you were still hung-up on her and I'm just trying to save myself any heartache when you eventually realise I'm not right with you and before you try and tell me otherwise, I've made my mind up. I always knew this would end badly for me."

"Why are so reluctant to believe that you're not enough for me? That I might genuinely like you enough to want to go out with you. Because of who I am? Because if that's what you think then that's just absurd and obviously you don't know me very well at all."

I ducked my head, realising that despite how hurt he was by me making this decision, he was accepting it, realising that we weren't right together.

I could feel myself getting more and more upset at the realisation because despite how much I wanted him to be happy, I didn't want to do this.

I knew what I had to do now, what I had to say, so I pursed my lips together and forced the words out of my mouth.

"Obviously I don't."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I rushed past him as quickly as I could, keeping my head down and holding back the tears for as long as I could.

I ran to the first taxi in sight and jumped in, telling him where I wanted to go.

As soon as I did, I sat back in the taxi and kept my head down, silently letting the tears fall as I realised that I had actually dumped Rob.

I had never ever wanted to do that but I really didn't think that I had any other choice because it would have only ended up with him breaking up with me further down the line.

As soon as I walked into the house, I could hear everyone chattering in the living room and I was determined not to have to talk about this with everyone else right now. I was certainly in no state to explain that I had lied to everyone about me and Rob.

I ran upstairs as fast as I could, desperately holding back my sobs as I heard everyone questioning what could have been wrong with me.

As soon as I got into my bedroom, I locked my bedroom door and jumped onto my bed, not bothering to even turn the light on. I grasped hold of my pillow, shoving my face into it and letting my tears fall once again as I realised I had actually managed to ruin things with Rob, and so early on too.

I had really, _really_ liked him more than anybody else before I had ever met before and I had completely ruined things. I had never felt the way I had when I was with Rob but I knew in the long run but I knew that in the long run, I had done the right thing for breaking it off with him now.

"Charlie, are you okay?" I asked Rachael's voice ask from the outside of my bedroom door after a knock.

"Go away!" I shouted, before turning my face back into my pillow and continuing to cry again, hoping she would just go away.

"Charlie please, open the door, I just want to make sure you're-"

"I said go away!" I shouted, desperate to be alone right now. "Please Rachael!" I begged softly, hoping she would just leave me be for the time being.

I was so relieved when she relented, because I didn't want to speak to anyone right now because despite how much I believed to be doing the right thing, it was still killing me because of how much I had liked him.


	17. Letter

**Letter**

As soon as I woke up in the morning, it felt like I had woken up from some terrible dream and that everything that had happened last night hadn't really happened at all. But as soon as I propped my head up, taking in the fact that I still had my blue dress on from last night, I realised that sadly, it wasn't just a dream at all.

I groaned in response, shoving myself under the covers and slamming my face back into the pillow, not caring that I looked a complete mess.

I didn't want to get up, I didn't want to think about anything that had happened between me and Rob and I certainly didn't want to talk to anyone about it.

A knock at my door interrupted my whining, making me sigh heavily in response. Whoever it was, I just wanted them to go away.

"Charlie, its Tasha." She called from outside my bedroom door. She sounded worried, which was understandable given that I had been in here since late last night and hadn't talked to anyone at all.

"Go away please." I begged her, hoping she would just leave me alone right now. Talking about what had happened last night just wasn't an option right now. I already felt like a complete embarrassment as it was.

"Please mate…let us just see that you're okay and then we'll leave you alone. Whatever happened last night, you can talk to us about it."

"No please Tasha, I just don't want to talk about it yet." I begged her, listening carefully for a moment to see if she would say anything more.

I was relieved when I finally heard her footsteps leading away from the door.

I sighed in relief, burying my head in my pillow and drifting off to sleep once again, my mind thumping loudly with all these thoughts running through my head…

I was jolted awake a while later though, by someone shoving me through my quilt, making me wake up.

I groaned in annoyance, not sure how long I had been asleep for and turned round to see who had managed to come into my bedroom.

Kellan was sat at the side of my bed, staring down at me with a disapproving look on his face and instantly, I jolted up from where I was laid down in my bed. I rubbed my eyes sleepily before staring back at him in shock, to see that he was still staring at me, waiting for me to wake up properly.

"How did you get into my bedroom?" I asked him warily, knowing for definite that I had locked my bedroom from the inside.

He frowned at me, as though that was the least important question for me to ask him, but answered me anyway.

"Rachael gave me a spare key just before she left to work a few minutes ago." He replied casually, still watching me carefully.

"Oh right…" I replied uncertainly, not sure what to say now in response. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought…well, you might be with Rob or something." I shrugged, trying not to give away how upset I was when I mentioned Rob's name.

I chewed on my bottom lip, staring down at my hands awkwardly.

"Yeah, I was with him all last night." He replied coolly, sounding a little annoyed for some reason.

"Oh…"

"Yeah, he was pretty much in bits all night when you decided to finish with him." He announced bluntly.

I stared up at him in shock, knowing that he had found out about me and Rob. I guess I should have automatically realised given how close him and Rob were. Kellan would have surely found out that I had dumped him sooner or later.

Seeing that he was watching me so seriously made me realise that he was being serious about Rob being so upset last night.

Instantly, I began to feel really guilty, knowing that I he was upset about me dumping him because that was the last thing I had been trying to do.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, looking back down at my hands nervously. "I never meant to upset him…I was trying to do him a favour."

Kellan huffed in response. "I don't quite know how you managed to figure that you. He really liked you and he thought things were going great between you two and then…you just dump him."

I frowned. "I explained to him exactly why I had to do it. I tried to make him understand last night."

"Yes, he explained all that to me last night when I gave him a lift home. You believe that he isn't over Kristen and wants her back, and by the sounds of what he said, you're trying to protect yourself by dumping him as you think he's going to do that to you eventually anyway. Is that right?"

I nodded, still frowning at the way he had put it. He made me sound like I was being completely irrational but I was the one who had seen them together last night.

"Well then you're stupid." Kellan snapped angrily, making me shocked.

I looked up at him to see him shaking his head at me and I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that he was being so mean. He had seen everything last night too!

"Hey, I'm not stupid; you saw everything last night too!"

He nodded seriously. "I agreed with you last night that they looked a little close, but then we were in the nightclub Charlie, you have to remember that. The music was very loud which was probably why they looked so close for. I spoke to Rob last night and he made it perfectly clear about the way he felt about you. He's crazy about you Charlie, anyone can see that." He sighed heavily.

I stared at him in surprise, because the truth was, I didn't really think that at all.

I shook my head. "But I don't see that, Kellan. It took him ages to get over her in the first place, which is why I'm so paranoid for."

"Look, I can understand why you think that he might dump for her in the future, honestly I can. They were together for a long time and he obviously really loved her which was why he fought for their relationship for so long for, but Rob really isn't like that. I've known him for over five years. I saw what he was like when he was with Kristen; when he's in a relationship, he is fiercely loyal. He's not the sort of person to go into a relationship lightly." He insisted confidently.

I smiled in response, because I really did think it was sweet that he was being protective over Rob, but I still refused to believe that he was over her.

It was the way he looked at her and talked to her. And the way she looked at him too. She reacted towards him exactly how I would, so I knew that even if he didn't want her back, she certainly wanted him back.

And there was also the fact that they still shared Bear too.

"I'm not trying to be a bitch and I'm definitely not trying to hurt Rob because he means a lot to me." I insisted firmly. "I really, really like him but I know there's still something there between him and Kristen. It's just too…convenient." I sighed.

"What do you mean?" Kellan asked me confused.

"Well for starters, they still have Bear together. She's both of their Dog and I know they still share her. He sees her all the time and though I know he probably does like me a lot, every time she's mentioned or sees her, he changes without him even realising it. And I know that when I'm back in the UK, finish my uni course, it's all I'm going to be thinking about when I should be concentrating on my studies. I want this to work more than anything and when he mentioned about him coming to the UK to meet me as often as he could, of course I wanted to say yes. But I just know that it's going to be on my mind, them living so closely together, sharing Bear together, meeting up whenever they need to talk about something…it's going to make me feel paranoid, wondering what he's up to her, wondering if he's with her…"

"Yes, but he wouldn't cheat on you Charlie, he's not like that-"

"Yes, but I'll be the one to end up pushing him away! Because I'll be so far away from him that I'll constantly feel paranoid about what he's doing all the time. It's not fair on either of us to put us both through that."

He frowned miserably at me in response. "But can't you just give it a chance, Charlie? He really, really likes you. Of course I understand how you feel, but I'm sure if you mention this to Rob, he would consider moving back to London for a-"

"No!" I insisted quickly, cutting him off before he could say anything more. "That is the last thing I want to do because it isn't fair on him. I refuse to ask that of him because it isn't right. He's lived out here for so many years now. I'm coming back to LA in a couple of years anyway, so if we end up back together then it was obviously meant to be. If not, then…well, I'll just have to get over it, won't I?"

Kellan frowned in dissatisfaction, telling me that he hadn't given up quite yet.

"I think you're making a terrible mistake, Charlie. I've never seen him as upset as he was last night, not even about Kristen actually. And I think if you do this now, you'll just end up really regretting it in the long run."

I nodded in response. "Yeah, you're probably right, Kellan. But I can tell he still loves her, even after all that she's done to him. And I don't want to be the one to stand in the way, only for him to regret our relationship further on down the line. I just don't see these next couple of years working out with me in England and him over here. Like I said, I'm just trying to save everyone the heartache in the long run by doing this."

Kellan shook his head in response, obviously unsatisfied with my response. "And there's nothing that I can say that won't change your mind about that? Despite how certain I am that he adores _you_."

I shook my head. "No, because you're wrong." I replied adamantly, chewing on my bottom lip to stop myself from getting upset again. I just had to remember that I was doing the right thing by doing this, for both of us.

"Well then…I think you should at least write him a letter to explain so I can give it to him. He was desperate to ring you last night to get some more answers from you. It's the least you can do." He warned me.

I nodded in response, instantly grabbing a small jotter pad from the table beside my bed and a pen too.

Kellan left me alone then, leaving me to think about what I could write to Rob to say to him. I knew exactly why Kellan hadn't asked me to go and see him, despite how gutted Rob sounded to be.

Because he knew that I would never be able to do it to his face because the truth was, I was too much of a coward.

I sat there for what could have been hours, desperately trying to think of the right thing to say to Rob. I believed I had already said everything I needed to say to him last night but on hearing that he was still confused about why exactly I had done it, I couldn't just ignore that.

Rob still meant a lot to me and if writing this meant that it would help him understand why I had been so cold for last night then I would do it. I would do anything to help him get over me dumping him so that he could be happy again.

Finally, I decided to just be honest with him and say what I was thinking, because he deserved that from me at the very least.

I kept stopping and starting, biting nervously on my bottom lip as I desperately tried to think of the right thing to say.

As soon as I was finished, I read the letter back to myself, making sure that it sounded okay as I really desperately wanted to be honest with him.

**Rob,**

**I really don't know what to say or where to begin to tell you how sorry I am that I upset you as much as I did last night. Hurting you was the last thing I wanted to do so I really am sorry.**

**There are a few reasons why I chose to end things between us last night and I hope that by explaining them to you and being honest, you'll understand why I did it for.**

**Trust me when I say that I never, ever wanted to hurt you and you still mean so much to me.**

**I really don't think you're completely over Kristen and no matter how many times you try and tell me that you are…I think deep down, you know you aren't too.**

**That was one of the main reasons why I knew I had to finish things last night.**

**Sometimes I can be quite a jealous person, no matter much I try not to be. I would have loved to maintain a long distance relationship with you because the truth is, I would have done anything to still be with you. You mean so much to me and I genuinely care a lot about you and I hope in doing this, you'll be happy again as I really don't think you are right now.**

**I know that when I'm at university and you're over here, I'll constantly be worrying about what you're doing or if you're with her, because that's what I'm like. I also know that you share Bear together and you do still see each other a lot and I don't want to be constantly bugging you when you're busy with your career.**

**I'm not saying I don't trust you at all, because I do, but I also know that we haven't been together that long and I think that me being so far away from you will be an extra strain on any relationship we have.**

**Believe me when I say I was only trying to do this out of your happiness.**

**I'm so sorry that I hurt you, really I am, because you're still my friend and I care very much when it comes to your happiness. Please find it in your heart to forgive me for last night, because I really am only trying to do this so that you can find the happiness that you deserve.**

**Yours,**

**Charlotte**

I left the letter as that because I knew I couldn't say anything else really, as I wasn't really sure what else to put and there wasn't exactly a lot else to say to him. I knew that by doing this, I probably wouldn't see Rob again for a long while and I couldn't deny that I felt really saddened about that because he really did mean a lot to me, which was why I had broken up with him in the first place.

I really hoped Rob could be able to forgive me in time, because I still cared a lot about him. But a part of me couldn't help but doubt that, given how convinced Kellan was that Rob really liked me, though I highly doubted that.

He might have believed that he liked me now, but I was certain that in time, he would realise that he didn't.

I couldn't believe myself that he had genuinely liked me enough to want to be with me, because I really did think he was too good for me.

I was absolutely convinced that he still loved Kristen, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. It really did think that no matter how upset he was with me for doing what I had last night that in the long run, he would be as happy as he obviously was when he was with her.

I understood it made no sense to anyone else, but I could tell that he still missed her, whether or not he wanted to believe it or not. He hadn't once looked at me in the same way that he looked at her when they were together.

No matter how much I wanted to be with him, I was trying to keep myself from getting hurt in the long run because I knew that was how it would end, and I was also trying to help him realise that he wasn't happy with me, because I really didn't think he was, no matter how much he had believed it when we were together.

I was determined to be able to keep myself as busy as possible, knowing that was the only way I would be able to get over him and stop myself from missing him. Because despite how hard this decision was, I knew it was the right one in the end.


	18. Avoiding

**Okay, so what do you think of the story so far? Do you feel sorry for Charlie or do you think she's being an idiot?**

* * *

**Avoiding**

Kellan had told Rachael, Tasha and Jackson that I had dumped Rob at the awards because they were getting suspicious about why I was so upset and I understood completely why he had to tell them, despite how much it hurt knowing that they all knew that I had been stupid enough to do what I had.

I really didn't want to have to speak about it to anyone because I felt awful enough as it was and it was bad enough without having Rob around the house.

I really, really missed him and having him around, but I knew I had done the right thing.

It was even harder when Kellan told me that Rob had decided to go back to London for a few weeks, to clear his head, just a few days after the Teen Choice Awards.

I kept myself as busy as possible and decided to let Amanda become my agent because I realised that if I kept myself as busy as possible with new projects, then I would feel a lot better than just sat at home, feeling sorry for myself.

Amanda seemed to know exactly what she was doing, which I was more than glad about as obviously Kellan had been right.

The girls were often going out now, with Jackson and Kellan but I made it clear that I didn't want to go with them, at least not for a long while yet. I hadn't really enjoyed going out when Rob was around so I definitely didn't enjoy it anymore.

I was getting too busy to go out now anyway, with Amanda sending me to lots of auditions as much as she possibly could.

I really did appreciate that as the more work that I was doing, the better my career was looking for me and the more that I didn't have to think about Rob which was a little easier not to do when I was busy.

After a few weeks of me constantly going out and looking for work, and trying to make a name for myself, it became obvious that the girls wanted to spend more time with me.

I would have happily applied but now they were going out the time, I just didn't want to join them at all, because all it did was made me unhappy because it made me think of how often we went out when Rob was around.

It was true that I probably hadn't spent much time with them since everything happened though, as they were always with Jackson and Kellan too, which only made me think about Rob even more.

As soon as I walked into the house, Rachael stormed out from the kitchen, raising an eyebrow at me in response.

"Now darling, I understand that you've been struggling the last few weeks, but sitting around moping about it, isn't going to help anyone, is it?"

I stared at her confused, wondering what the hell she was going on about. Yes, I was still feeling down about Rob but I had been trying to put that aside by working as hard as possible, so if anything, I hadn't been moping round at all. I had just been avoiding everyone in the house and avoiding going out with the girls.

"Rachael, I haven't been moping around. I've just been really busy with work, that's all." I insisted firmly, unable to stop myself feeling a little awkward given how bluntly she had pointed it out, but then that was Rachael.

I hung my coat up on a peg and turned back to look at Rachael, hoping she wasn't offended with how I hadn't been spending a lot of time with her.

"Yes, but you haven't even been out clubbing with us for ages, sweetie. I know you're still cut up over Rob, but you've still got to live your life, honey. He'd have wanted that."

I couldn't help but winch a little but when she mentioned his name because they had been careful to avoid the subject around me, so I hadn't been expecting her to bring up so suddenly now.

Obviously Rachael had gotten bored with the subtle-subtle approach.

I shrugged, not making it a big deal. "Rachael, I haven't been out with you guys because I don't want to go out. It was what we did when…Rob was here which is why I don't want to do it now. I haven't been avoiding you guys at all but you've been going out a lot recently and I just don't enjoy it right now. But if you stayed in for a night or whatever, then I'd be happy to spend a bit of time with all of you. I guess I'm just still struggling." I confessed, and before she could say another word, I began to head upstairs.

"Okay, well we shall arrange something in a few days then!" She shouted up quickly, a little too eagerly too.


	19. Come What May

**Come What May**

Over the next few days, the auditions that Amanda was sending me too were becoming a lot more positive than it had when I first started out and she began to send me out a lot more, 'networking' as she liked to call it.

What she meant by that was that I would go out, by a coffee or hot chocolate or whatever, do a bit of shopping and take my time around town, so that if there was any paparazzi around then they would catch me heading about around Beverly Hills and take pictures of me, getting my name more out there.

I hated it personally as this wasn't exactly what I wanted to be doing. I wanted to be doing two things; acting and writing, but I completely understood her method and thought it was a really good idea.

And after all, she was my agent now too, so anything new that she suggested, I had to at least try out.

On the Monday, I did the same thing, just like I had been doing for the last few days.

I got showered in the morning, taking my time as I washed my hair and clearing my thoughts from everything bad, such as…well, _him_.

I left my hair to curl naturally as it always did, flicking it over one shoulder lazily, and putting on a loose, soft-touch tee shirt, which was the colour of deep red, pairing it off with a pair of small black shorts and some pull-on black converses.

I put on a black baseball cap on, pairing them with my black wayfarer Ray Ban sunglasses on and headed out like normal.

As I was sat drinking my hot chocolate in the café, away from where everyone else was sat as I watched people walking around in Beverly Hills, busily shopping, my phone suddenly began to ring, making me jump a little.

I answered quickly, presuming it was Amanda before I had seen her called I.D. come up on my phone screen.

"Hello?"

"Hey Charlie, its Amanda. I managed to get you a part in this great movie and I think you'll really dig it. I'm at the Beverly Hills FDA office, talking it through with the directors of the movie and a few of the actors who are interested in taking part and you may want to come along now to have a chat about it."

"Err, sure…" I insisted quickly, getting up from my seat as soon as she suggested that I should come along. "I'll be there in five."

"Okay, see ya chick." She replied.

I cut her off then, quickly shoving my phone back in the front pocket of my shorts and heading outside.

A few people were on the other side of the street, taking photographs of me and I quickly threw them a smile, not wanting to be accused of being rude, even though I really didn't like the attention and quickly turned right of the café, knowing that the office was literally just around the corner from here.

I kept my head down, ignoring the flash of cameras I could hear from across the road, accepting that this was what I had to deal with if I wanted to get anywhere with my acting.

It wasn't even that I hated the attention so much as the fact that I really didn't think that I deserved all of this attention anyway.

I mean, I wasn't exactly somebody special so why they wanted to stand around waiting for me to come outside a café and walk across to an office building was bizarre to me.

The building was quite an old looking office building, which was surprising considering that it was stood directly in the middle of busy, posh Beverly Hills.

I headed straight into reception, telling them why I was here and was guided through to a small office on the second floor, where everyone was sat around a wooden table.

Amanda turned and smiled at me as I headed into the doorway and I instantly took my baseball cap off as I realised how many people were sat around the table.

I took a seat next to Amanda, curious to find out about this movie that she had managed to get for me.

Amanda passed me a script and began to talk about the idea of this movie and why she thought I would be good at playing the part of this character.

"Okay, so basically the film that we were really interested in you being involved in is about this woman who is a prostitute," Amanda began to explain and I couldn't hold back my smirk as she mentioned that the character was a prostitute.

"Are you trying to say something?" I teased, making her grin.

"Basically, she meets this guy, the owner of this wonderful theatre in Paris, which is loved all over the world and people travel the world to visit. His name is Michael Bowell and he basically oversees everything that happens at the theatre. As soon as he meets Roxanne Gilbert, an orphan who becomes a prostitute. As soon as he hears her sing, he automatically offers her a place at the theatre, promising to make her a star. People then begin to travel across the world to see her and hear her sing and then she meets an actor who gets a job at the theatre called Joseph Hancock, who has got an incredible voice too. Basically Michael, the owner who she becomes romantically involved in just after she gets a job at the theatre begins to abuse her whenever she refuses to do what he wants and becomes obsessed with her and her voice, but he mistakes it for love. Roxanne starts to fall in love with Joseph as he offers her a way out, which Michael forbids but the two then runs off and that's when Michael follows him and his obsession slowly starts to get the better of him…" she explained thoroughly rendering me a little speechless.

She sounded as though she had thoroughly researched the movie and all that it included to make sure that it was a decent enough movie which it definitely sounded it to me.

"Wow, you know your stuff Amanda." I teased playfully.

She shrugged in response. "Well I read the book, you see. It's called Come What May and we were saying how we're torn between keeping it titled as Come What May or calling it All is Fair, with the slogan as _in love and war_. It's a song that they sing in the book and we'll be keeping it in the movie."

"Hmm…" I considered. "How about keeping it as Come What May so that the fans know it's the movie version of the book and then have the slogan _All is fair…in love and war_. It just gives a little clue into the movie. Or another one could be just these three words, the most important aspects of the movie. _Love. Music. Obsession_."

A man with dark hair and black rimmed glasses pointed a finger at me, considering what I had said for a moment.

"I like that…it doesn't give too much away."

Amanda grinned at me in response. "Yeah, I do too." She nodded. "That's settled then?" She asked everyone a little unsure, and everyone nodded in response.

"Now…we haven't found an actor who we think would fit the bill as Joseph Hancock yet, but we found somebody to play the role of Michael Bowell. The character is described as quite big built in the books, muscular, but not too much older than the young, seventeen year old Roxanne, about twenty-four or twenty-five and we thought that Jamie would be perfect for this role."

I looked up to see where she nodded her head to, to see her pointing over to a guy sat opposite us.

He was no older than twenty-two or twenty-three and he was quite good looking. He had dark brown hair, almost the colour of black. His eyes were the colour of icy blue. He looked like some sort of model, with his strong, sculptured jaw and heavily muscular body and as I glanced nosily at him, I realised I'd met him before.

"I've met you before…at that nightclub." I confessed out-loud before I really knew what I was saying.

He smiled warily, flicking back his dark hair from the top of his forehead. "Yeah…I know I owe you an apology for how I acted that night. I was a little drunk but that's no excuse. I'm sorry about that." He apologised warily with a deep, London accent and I just nodded in response, knowing that I should be grown up enough to accept his apology if we were going to be working together now.

"That's okay." I insisted.

Amanda looked between us confused, trying to work out what was going on. "What did you do? Because if there's going to be any awkwardness or any tension between you two whilst you're filming-"

"Don't be silly Amanda, it's fine, everything's cool." I promised with a confident smile.

She nodded in response, looking a little relieved to hear that.

The meeting didn't last too long because they still hadn't found an actor to play Joseph which meant that we weren't due to film for another couple of weeks until they found someone who they believed to be good enough to play him.

I completely understood why they wanted to find the perfect people to play them as it was an important factor and they obviously needed someone who could sing well too.

As soon as I was out of the room, I flipped my baseball cap back on and started reading through the scripts, really intrigued by my character. She was a feisty character who ends up getting tangled in a web of love and obsession and tries to do the right thing without hurting anyone in the long run.

Jamie headed out with me and I threw him a polite smile as he headed out to the parking lot, just outside the office.

"It sounds like such a cool movie, doesn't it?" He asked me curiously, making conversation as we walked together. "I can't wait to get started on the movie." He announced excitedly, making me smile in response.

"So I take it you put aside your photography to continue on your acting career then?" I asked him nosily.

He stared at me in surprise, a look of impressiveness on his features. "You remembered…well, yeah, I kind of have. I still sort of do it now and again, more as a side-project. When I got offered this, I just knew I couldn't turn it down. It's my first major thing since I had gotten out here." He confessed.

I nodded again in response, genuinely interested in what he had to say.

"Oh cool…yeah; this is the first proper thing I've gotten since my first film, what I was telling you about when we first met."

He nodded in response. "Yeah, well not too bad then."

"Hmm, especially as I'm moving back to the UK in a few months."

"Huh?" He asked me, sounding a little confused.

I laughed in response, unable to help myself, because of how confused he looked.

"Urm…I'm a student. I'm currently studying Drama and Creative writing at De Montfort University in the UK and I got six months off, so I moved out here to try and get my career moving, as I want to move back out here as soon as my university course is finished." I explained.

He nodded, looking impressed again. "Cool…so any particular reason for Los Angeles?" He asked intrigued.

I smirked in response. "Well, why did you choose to come to Los Angeles?"

He shrugged. "I've always wanted to come here and my career wasn't going too great back in London, so I just thought why not? I'm definitely glad I did though." He smiled.

"Ahh, well that's basically the same reason why I came out here for. See you around." I smiled, as I began to head off in the other direction and walk home.

"Wait!" He called.

I looked back round at him, to see what he wanted.

He pointed to his car which was parked at the side of the parking lot. It was a black, Mercedes convertible car and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in response. It kind of looked like he was showing off a little bit.

"Did you want a lift?"

I grinned. "No thanks, I don't accept lift off of strangers."

"But I'm not a stranger, technically." He smirked.

I shook my head adamantly and began walking away from him as I definitely didn't feel like spending more time with him than necessary.


	20. Nothing Serious

**Nothing Serious**

Over the next few days, I didn't hear anything from anyone concerning the film but I didn't let it bother me as I knew that they were still looking for somebody to play Joseph and we weren't due to start filming for another three weeks anyway, so I knew we still had plenty of time to ourselves anyway.

With that in mind, I knew I had a bit of time to myself to spend with the girls and I knew given how little time I had been spending with them, I should use the next few weeks that I now had to relax to spend with them.

I'd said no to go clubbing with the girls but they made it obvious that they really wanted me to go out with them, so I reluctantly agreed knowing that they weren't going to give up.

I wasn't up for getting dressed up though, but as usual, Rachael wasn't satisfied until she got her way, as usual.

"You _have_ to get dressed up, darling!" She insisted adamantly. "I mean…what if you meet someone really hot in the nightclub that you like?"

I rolled my eyes in response, because as far as I was concerned that was the last thing that I was thinking about. I didn't want to find anyone else because I still missed Rob and the thought of being in a relationship with someone else actually made me feel a little sick because I just wasn't ready to move on yet.

"I won't though Rachael, because I'm not ready for a relationship. I'm not exactly over Rob yet..."

Rachael shrugged in response. "Nobody mentioned getting into a relationship, sweetie. You could always have a one night stand-"

"Rachael, enough!" I quickly interrupted her, running out the kitchen before she could say another word, because that was the last thing on my mind right now to say the least.

But of course, Rachael won when it came to what I wore tonight and I gave in quickly, knowing it would be less of a fight if I just agreed to let her do my hair and make-up for me.

She left my hair naturally curly and put me in a black, V-neck bodycon style dress. She paired them with a pair of leather black ankle boots, pairing it with a leather jacket, with three quarter sleeves.

I made it obvious to Rachael that I wanted my make-up natural, so she reluctantly agreed to that one.

She grinned as soon as she had finished my small make-over, stepping backwards and appreciating her work.

"You look…amazing sweetie!"

I grinned. "Thanks Rachael, I really do like the dress and the way you did my hair and stuff…it looks really nice. Am I allowed to go downstairs and have a nice relaxing glass of wine now though?" I asked her hopefully.

She nodded. "Yeah, of course you can darling. Save me some though!" She joked, giggling playfully.

I smiled and headed downstairs to see that Kellan and Jackson had now arrived and were sitting in the kitchen with Tasha, who was also already work to go out clubbing tonight.

They turned and looked towards me as I grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge and poured myself a big glass.

"It's nice to see that you're coming out with us all tonight, Charlie." Kellan smiled from the table as I turned back around and took a big sip of my glass of wine.

I nodded in response, forcing a smile back, because despite how much of a front I was trying to put on, I was only really coming out to spend time with the girls.

I wasn't exactly sure on what to say in response to what Kellan had said. Of course it was nice to see him and Jackson again because I had seen him even less than I had seen the girls and it was nice to know that everyone had missed me coming out with them, but I wasn't looking forward to tonight too much.

Luckily, Rachael didn't take too long to get ready upstairs, but it still gave me enough time to drink back the glass of wine that I had in my hand.

As there were less people now that Rob wasn't here, we all managed to get a taxi together. We went to a club round the corner from our house, one that we had been to once before.

It wasn't anything special but the alcohol was quite cheap so as soon as we were in the nightclub, I headed over to the bar with Kellan and got a round of drinks in with him.

He frowned at me as we got over to the bar and moved a little closer, so that he could hear me speak over the loud club music.

"Listen…I know you're struggling tonight because you miss Rob still." He realised. "But I am glad you decided to come out with us tonight, I think it will do you the world of good." He insisted.

I shrugged in response but nodded anyway. "Hopefully," I shouted above the music, not too sure on what else to say.

We moved into the VIP section of the club as it was a little quieter and we could hear ourselves think a little better. I thought it would be a good idea and I followed everyone into the VIP section, only to sigh heavily in response.

Rachael looked round to me instantly. "What's up?" She asked in confusion.

I nodded over to the bar, where Jamie was sat on a barstool, busy talking to one of the female bartenders.

She kept giggling which told me that he was obviously busy flirting with her.

He was dressed as casually as he had been dressed the other day when I had met him. He was wearing a blue, grey and black striped shirt with light blue jeans.

I looked back at Rachael who was still looking at me confused, wondering what was wrong with me.

"Urm…the guy in the striped shirt…Jamie…he's sat at the bar. He was at the meeting the other day because he got a part in the movie."

Rachael nodded, instantly looking back over at the bar to see who I was staring at and she instantly raised an eyebrow in response.

"He's cute…in fact very cute." She confirmed, smirking.

Tasha giggled in response to Rachael's comments and also looked over to where we both were staring.

"Well, I have to admit he does look quite cute." Tasha admitted, agreeing with what Rachael had said.

I shrugged in response. "Yeah, I guess so...does anyone want a drink?" I asked as we moved more into the VIP area.

"Yeah, it will be beers for all of us and a glass of wine for you." Rachael confirmed with a smug grin.

I rolled my eyes in response. "Well done, Rachael." I replied sarcastically, moving over to the bar to order my drinks.

I could hear Jamie flirting with the barmaid from where I was sat and I couldn't help but smirk in response, given how obvious he was being.

As soon as a barman came over, I ordered the drinks, watching from the corner of my eye as Jamie got up from where he was sat after seeing me.

"Hey."

I looked up and smiled politely at Jamie as he headed over to me. He took a seat down next to me and smiled back.

"Well fancy seeing you here," he continued in a flirty sort of manner and I could tell that he had definitely been drinking. I could smell it on his breath too which wasn't exactly very attractive to say the least.

I rolled my eyes, completely unimpressed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I replied miserably.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, as though trying to work something out in his head as he stared at me.

"What's up with you? You seemed a lot more cheerful to me the other day." He complained sourly.

I huffed. "None of your business…and if I seemed a lot more cheerful then I'm glad my acting skills have improved to fool idiots like you."

He pretended to be insulted by that comment by holding his hand over his heart, as though I had somehow bruised his heart by saying that to him.

"Ooh, ouch baby! You know how to insult me, don't you?"

I snickered in response, paying for the beers and my glass of wine, before turning back to look at him.

"Excuse me but I'm certainly not _your_ baby…see ya."

And with that, I turned on my heel and stalked away quickly, not bothering to look round to see if he was following, because I didn't truly believe he would have the nerve to.

I put down the bottles of beer and my glass of wine onto the table in the middle of the booth carefully, before smiling at the girls. I couldn't help but feel proud of myself that I had managed to walk without falling over, with four bottles of beer in my hand and a glass of wine.

Rachael giggled playfully about something or other as I sat down on the edge of the booth, but I didn't bother to look at whatever she was giggling at.

"Soooo, you must be the famous Jamie then?"

I sighed heavily in response, knowing exactly what she was talking about. I wasn't stupid; I had a feeling Jamie had come over to see everyone, despite the fact that he wasn't invited over.

"He's definitely _not_ famous." I corrected quickly.

I turned in time, to see Jamie taking a seat beside me. He put his arm around me and I instantly pulled a face in response, moving away from him slightly. He ignored that and turned to grin at Rachael.

"She's just saying that because she's _well jel_." He joked and I couldn't help but roll my eyes as the girls laughed in response.

"Ugh and that is so not the way you say _well jell_ by the way." I complained sourly.

He threw a grin at the girls. "Told ya."

Rachael grinned back in response. "So you're an actor too then? And from London too…how strange." She commented sarcastically, giving Tasha a look.

I frowned miserably at them in response, knowing exactly where they were going with that and not appreciating the remark at all.

He nodded. "Yep that I am…I kind of do photography too, but that's just a side-line thing." He shrugged.

Rachael nodded, impressed. "And work out a lot too, by the looks of things." She commented cheekily, before giggling again in response.

He shrugged again in response. "Well you know…I do like to keep fit now and again." He confessed with a smile, before looking over towards where Kellan was sat. "But then having said that, I'm nowhere near as bad as this guy! You're hench as hell! When I get to looking like you, I'll be more than happy."

Kellan shrugged; a smirk on his lips. "What can I say? This takes a lot of work…" he confessed, before looking over to Tasha and winking playfully at her. "It's worth it though."

She giggled helplessly in response; just as charmed with Kellan when he did that as I was when _he_ used to-

"Yeah, I bet it is." Jamie added with a smirk, instantly interrupting my wallowing thoughts and throwing his arm back around my neck and making me roll my eyes in response.

I glared at him in response, not too pleased with him keep doing that.

Rachael grinned in response. "Aww, you make a cute couple!"

The minute she said that, I shoved his arm away and huffed at her in response, because that was the last thing that I wanted to hear.

"There's a problem with that Rachael, because we're not actually a couple." I reminded her angrily.

She rolled her eyes in response, nodding her head at Jamie. "I think somebody wants to be though." She teased.

On that note, I instantly downed my glass of wine quickly so that I had an excuse to get up and remove myself from everyone for a bit.

I slammed my glass down and stepped past Jamie.

"I need another drink." I spat angrily, heading towards the bar quickly before anyone could stop me.

The last thing I needed to hear was _what a cute couple_ me and Jamie were when I was still trying desperately (and failing) not to think about the guy who was constantly in my head at the moment.

I ordered a shot of tequila, suddenly bored of white wine. Right now, getting absolutely plastered was a very good idea.

"I warned you, didn't I?"

I looked round in shock, watching Kellan take a seat beside me at the bar, watching me with wary eyes.

I shrugged back in response, not too sure what he was talking about. "I don't know what you mean."

"I warned you the day after you dumped Rob. I told you that I thought you were making a mistake. And then I told you that if you do it then you'll just-"

"Yes, yes, end up regretting it in the long run, I remember." I sighed heavily in response as I recalled what Kellan had told me the morning after the Teen Choice Awards.

I frowned at the bar thoughtfully. "Obviously the long run crept up faster than we both imagined."

I could see Kellan turn to look at me in the corner of my eyes. "Look…I can always text him you know. I have his mobile number still and one call to him and he would be back in here in a flash for you-"

"No," I quickly interrupted him when I realised where he was going with this.

God, I wanted to so badly, because I was desperate to see him again but I knew I had absolutely no right. And if I was that desperate, I knew I should have been the one to go to London to see him, not the other way around.

"No that isn't fair on him…I'll just have to try and get over it."

Kellan watched me warily as I said that. "And how do you intend to do that exactly?" He asked curiously.

My tequila shot came then and as soon as it had, I downed it quickly before turning towards him when I got over how strong it was.

"By drinking." I replied with an aggravated smirk.

Kellan sighed heavily in frustration, ordering a beer for himself.

"That really isn't the answer, Charlie." He warned me seriously.

I shrugged adamantly in response to that. "I don't know about that…it makes everything to much more fun." I replied sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes in response. "Seriously, you were the one to dump him, not the other way around." He reminded me bitterly.

I frowned back in response. "Well yeah…I know it's my entire fault, you don't have to remind me of that. It's not like I can forget that-"

"Well then stop whining." Kellan warned me aggravated. "I warned you Charlie and you didn't listen to me so stop moping around because if you wanted to be with Rob, you wouldn't be sitting here moaning now."

I frowned miserably at the bar, nodding in agreement before I quickly realised what he had actually said.

"Anyway, it wasn't that I didn't want to be with Rob at all. I dumped him because I knew he wasn't over Kristen so I was just saving either one of us the heartache when he eventually realised that I wasn't the one he wanted."

He rolled his eyes again in response. "For god sake Charlie, whether or not you really believe in what you're saying, I'm telling you, you're wrong He was really into you and everyone else besides you could see it. So if you're going to sit around moping then at least realise that you had every chance of making it worth with Rob because he was more over Kristen than ever when you two started dating."

"Great thanks Kellan; that makes me feel _so_ much better." I complained sourly.

He groaned in agitation. "Well I don't know what else you want me to say, Charlie. You were the one who ruined it with him, nobody else."

"I know, I know Kellan, alright." I frowned angrily, wishing more than anything that I could have taken it back.

Yes, I still couldn't quite believe that Rob had liked me as much as he had, but obviously I had been stupid to break up with him in the first place.

Kellan patted me on the back once and I appreciated him trying to be there for me as I knew he didn't know what to say to me for the best.

"Come on; let me buy you a bottle of water so you can sober up."

I shook my head. "No, no, I want a glass of wine."

Kellan shook his head in response. "Charlie, drinking isn't going to help you, I already told you that."

I shrugged. "I just want to get drunk tonight Kellan, so then I can forget about him for one night, okay? I'm not turning into an alcoholic, I promise." I smiled sadly.

Kellan frowned in response but nodded anyway. "Okay, okay…well let me buy you a glass of wine instead then."

I nodded in response, knowing that he was just trying to help me.

As soon as we headed over to the table, I couldn't help but roll my eyes in response to Jamie talking to the girls. He looked very busy talking about himself, clearly something he liked doing a lot.

Rachael grinned at me as soon as she saw me head over to her table.

"Jamie's just been telling me about how he studied Journalism at college, just like you." She insisted

I huffed in response. "Oooooh, very interesting!" I replied sarcastically, making Jackson and Kellan laugh.

She rolled her eyes in response, not looking very amused by my sarcasm.

As it started to get a bit later, the girls wanted to get up and dance before we had to go home, but I really wasn't in the mood.

Jamie tried to get me up as everyone moved to the dance floor but I adamantly refused to get up with him. I would have rather just sit here and mope.

"Come on baby…at least I have an excuse to get close to you then!" He teased, smirking at me playfully.

"And I told you before; I'm not your baby." I warned him, downing my glass of wine in the hope that it would get me through tonight.

"Okay, okay," he laughed, amused with my lack of interest. "Well then…just amuse me for a while." He pleaded.

I ignored him instead, hoping he would go away and leave me alone, but instead, he remained standing there, still looking at me expectantly.

I sighed in frustration, knowing that he wasn't going to give up until I said yes to dance with him.

"Fine!" I whined aggravated, getting up and heading over to the dance floor with him, to keep him happy.

He grinned at me in response but I just rolled my eyes, because the truth was, I wasn't that delighted to have to dance with him.

The alcohol was starting to hit me a bit more though and I was starting to feel quite a bit tipsier all of a sudden, and as we began to order shots between us, I started to get more and more drunk…

I'd somehow ended up outside the front of Jamie's house, with Jamie pulling me along as gently as I could as I followed him to the front door of a house that I couldn't really take in properly as I was still really quite drunk.

As soon as we got into the hallway though, I shoved him away from me and grasped onto the wall for something to hold onto and turned and glared at him suspiciously as he locked the door behind him.

"What the hell am I doing here?" I asked him confused, trying to work out when I had agreed to go to Jamie's house.

He chuckled in response and led me into a plush looking living room.

On the right, there was a cream, U-shaped sofa and he practically shoved me down onto it so that I was sat down.

I glared at him angrily, wondering what the hell he was doing.

"You stay here; I'll go and get you a coffee so you can sober up. And to answer your question, you wanted to come here because you thought it would be such a good idea, given how much you thought I looked like Rob, who I gather is your ex."

"Oh," I replied awkwardly, not too sure what else to say in response to that.

He raised an eyebrow in response. "Yeah, that's exactly what I thought when you said it…_awkward_." He spelled it out for me, before he quickly headed out into the kitchen to make me a drink so that I could sober up some more.

I groaned in embarrassment and ducked my face into my hands, wishing to god that I hadn't got so drunk now. I mean, how embarrassing!

To have actually said that to Jamie, when he didn't even know who Rob was.

It was bad enough to know that I had obviously been talking about him as it was, let alone to know that I had been comparing Rob to Jamie.

I sat there like that for ages, still feeling so embarrassed as I waited for Jamie to come back from the kitchen with the coffee.

Hearing Jamie chuckle quickly made me realise that Jamie was back from the kitchen and I instantly looked back up to see that he was back.

He had two cups in his hand and he put them both on the table before he took a seat opposite me on the sofa.

"So…I have a question," he announced, staring at me in wonder. "The guy you kept calling me…Rob. Is that a Mr Robert Pattinson by any chance?" He guessed.

I frowned in response to his name, taking a small sip of the coffee he had given me, but forced myself to nod anyway.

He stared at me confused, trying to work me out. "Seriously…and you think I actually look like him?"

I shrugged, feeling really embarrassed about what I had said because I had been quite drunk when I had said it.

"Well, I was drunk to be fair."

He grinned in response. "True that."

I sat there in silence, taking a big gulp of my coffee as I tried to think of something to say in response.

"Wow…so you and Pattinson." He commented, sounding surprised by that.

I stared at him confused, trying to work out why he looked so shocked to think that I had gone out with him. Was it so hard to imagine me and him together? Was he so out of my league that it seemed unrealistic that he would ever look at me? The truth was…probably.

"Why do you say it as if you're completely shocked he would ever even bother to consider going out with someone like me?"

He snorted in response. "That wasn't why I was surprised at all. I just imagined that you would have better standards than him."

I huffed sourly, just as offended by that as I was by what I thought he had been trying to suggest in the first place.

"What, like you, you mean?" I snickered. "And _fyi_, Rob is actually a really lovely guy. He's very, very funny and very sweet, and well…incredibly handsome too, obviously…" I trailed off, thinking about how many times he had made me smile, he had made me laugh and…well, just how many times he dazzled me too.

"Jeez, give a guy a complexion." He moaned miserably from opposite me, making me grin in response, because I knew exactly why he was complaining for.

I drank my coffee back and got up from the sofa, realising that it was actually getting pretty late and I needed to go home.

I wasn't stupid enough to think that I could ever drive home, even if I did have a car spare to borrow.

I obviously knew that the safest way and pretty much the only option for me to get home is to get a taxi.

"I guess I should go home then." I sighed heavily, because the truth was I didn't actually mind talking to Jamie. He was alright really, even if he was a bit smug at times.

"Well…you could always stay here." He contemplated quietly, following me over to the front door.

I turned back around to look at him, wondering if he was actually being serious about that. It appeared he was.

He had shoved his hands deep into the front pockets of his jeans and he was watching me closely, a questioning look within his eyes.

I could tell by the way that he was looking at me too…that he didn't just mean stay the night either.

I frowned uncertainly, knowing that it would have never done me any good staying the night because not only did I not have any feelings for him and if I did choose to sleep with him that night then it would only make me think about Rob…rather than Jamie.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, do you?" I insisted adamantly, shaking my head in response to his offer.

He shrugged in response. "Why not?"

I sighed heavily, knowing I would have to spell it out to him completely. The fact was that I was not completely over Rob and sleeping with Jamie would only confuse things between us.

"Right…you're a smart guy so it must be obvious to you to see that I'm not over my ex, which is exactly why it would be wrong to sleep with you." I insisted.

He nodded, taking that in to account.

"Yeah…maybe, but it doesn't have to be anything serious. We could just…see how tonight goes, and then…well, go on a few dates maybe?" He considered, shrugging as casually as possible.

"See how tonight goes?" I repeated, confused.

I wasn't sure how that would go considering how awkward it would be between us if tonight didn't go well and we decided that it was wrong.

"Yeah…I'm not stupid, I can see you're not over Rob. But it's not like I'm asking you straight out into a relationship. I just…well, I always liked you. Ever since I met you in that nightclub…there was something about you. I know I was out of order when I met you because I was drunk and I was being stupid but…well, it's up to you. But this wouldn't be anything serious, anything too…intense."

I frowned in response, not too sure what to do now.

There was no denying that he seemed like a really nice guy and he was cute and really good looking and he obviously worked out a lot, given how muscular he was too. And he actually seemed really nice, from when I had spoken to him a few times. A little too confident maybe, but still, he seemed pretty genuine.

"So…nothing too intense?" I repeated, making certain for definite that he was actually happy with that.

He nodded, shrugging. "Well yeah…you're career's just starting out anyway and you're already getting lots of attention, so the last thing you need is for anyone to find out about a relationship or whatever. After this movie is released too…well, you never know. My career might finally get off of the ground so it's…well…it's convenient, for both of us in a way."

I nodded in response, wondering about something else…

"But you know…there's no feelings involved and there won't be…at least not for a while anyway?"

He nodded again. "Yeah, of course; we could just…keep it casual," he insisted. "I hope that doesn't sound sleazy or anything-"

"No, no, it doesn't." I promised him with a smile, slowly coming round to the idea.

After all, it was like we said there was no feelings between us and though I missed Rob and there were definitely feelings there for him, it was nothing too heavy so nobody would get hurt…right?

I stared at him uncertainly, smiling shyly.

"So erm…where do we go from here?" I asked uncertainly, not even sure on where to begin now.

He smirked a little in response, finally removing his hands from inside the front pockets of his jeans.

"Have you…well have you never had a one night stand before?"

"Err…no, have you?" I asked uncertainly.

He shrugged, smiling still. "Only a couple of times…but surely you've been on dates before though?"

I nodded. "Well…yeah, of course."

"And surely some of them have ended in sex?"

"Well again…of course." I insisted, smiling shyly at him as I fidgeted nervously with my hands in front of me.

"So…" he started, trailing off thoughtfully as he took a few steps forward, stepping closer towards me. "What happened on these dates…to lead to it?"

He leaned forwards slightly, pressing an arm to the wall from beside me and I stared back in shock, wondering what to do now.

"Urm…" I started nervously, before finally deciding to just go for it. I had nothing holding me back anyway, so what was the problem? Like we had agreed, there was no feelings involved or anything like that and it might have been successful in taking my mind off of Rob for a while and if that worked, then it was definitely worth it, given how much I couldn't stop thinking about him still.

"Well, to be honest…normally, a bit like this." I smirked, trying to be as confident as possible as I stepped closer to him, making him smile in response.

His eyes darkened a little bit and his eyes trailed down my body eagerly.

I finished off that sentence by wrapping my arms around his neck and tangling my hands in the back of his hair, pushing his face forwards.

He reacted straight away, pushing me backwards into the wall behind me and letting his mouth find mine.

He groaned into my mouth as I kissed him urgently, tightening my hands further into the strands of his hair.

His mouth moved on mine, matching the urgency of my lips as we continued kissing, his hands tightening around my hips and pressing himself closer to me so that I could feel the length of his body against mine.

There was no denying that I didn't have anywhere near the same reaction to him as I did whenever Rob kissed me like this, but I didn't even entertain such thoughts as things got more and more heated because I knew that it didn't matter one little bit anymore because I wasn't with Rob anymore.

This wasn't like how it was with me and Rob anymore, it was different.

This was just fun, without any strings attached, and I knew that if this was enough to help me move on then it would definitely be worth it in the end, even if it meant just putting up with it and not being as happy as I was when I had been with Rob.

His mouth moved downwards giving us time so that we could both catch our breath. His mouth moved downwards, from my jaw to my neck and I moaned in response as he trailed his lips downwards, leaving a trail of urgent kisses.

My fingers brushed against his shirt buttons gingerly, as though I still expected him to stop me, but he didn't.

With that confidence now on my side, I continued to undo his shirt buttons until I was finished. I pulled apart the shirt and ran my hands over the planes of his muscular chest, feeling him shiver in delight as I did.

There was no denying that he definitely had a good body because I could tell by just how hard his muscles were from underneath my fingers.

And there was no denying that he did smell pretty good too really. The fragrance was muskier and was a lot more obvious than Rob's aftershave and was a bit too strong but it still smelt pleasant.

As things began to get a little heated, I realised that this probably needed to lead to the bedroom, rather than continue it here and despite being nervous, I pushed the thought aside.

Not just because I was trying to be confident but also because I was desperate to try anything that might get me over Rob and it seemed that this might do the trick as well as it just being some fun without any feelings involved either.

I pulled away from him, pushing him away from me slightly.

He stared at me confused as he stood with his arms still around my waist as he tried to catch his breath from how much we had kissed.

I smiled instead, taking his hand in mine to try and ease his confusion.

"I think," I started, still getting my breath back. "That we should lead this to the bedroom." I insisted with a shy smile.

I kept his hand in mine as he smiled back and followed me into the hallway of his house and up the stairs of his house too.

* * *

**Ooh, so do you think she's doing the right thing? :O**


	21. Casting Shock

**Lover's back! ;)**

* * *

**Casting Shock**

The night with Jamie had gone well, almost…well, better than I had initially thought it would have gone too. He really did seem like a genuine guy and though it was nothing serious between us, I couldn't deny that he did manage to take my mind off of Rob when I was with him, which was at least better than nothing.

So after I stayed round that night, we decided to go on a few dates together but still keep it casual between us so that nobody in the public eye found out about us because we both agreed that it wasn't like that and that we didn't want anyone to know about any relationship between us.

I told the girls about me and Jamie though I made it clear that it was just casual between us and that it definitely wasn't a relationship.

Everyone seemed quite happy for me but they warned me to be careful though too, because of how I had been hurt by Rob leaving because they didn't want to see me upset again.

It was easier for us to keep it so casual anyway, because we had to work together for the movie now too, so it wouldn't be professional if we had got into anything more serious whilst we began to film the movie.

By the time we started filming, we had been on quite a few dates but we were still just as happy about going slow and keeping things casual between us.

They still hadn't found anyone to play the role of Joseph but as we started filming, we just concentrated on the parts that we could film with me and Jamie, rather than the parts of the film where we needed an actor to play Joseph for a scene.

There weren't very many scenes without Joseph's character in it because it was about the three main central characters, but we got through whatever scenes we could without the need of whichever actor would play him.

Things seemed to be going well with Jamie and we both seemed quite happy with just taking things slow between us and not rushing into things.

The girls had made it obvious that they were desperate to let Jamie come out with us whenever we went clubbing or whatever but I made it obvious to them that it definitely wasn't going to happen.

As far as I was concerned, if he kept coming out with me and the girls then it would just make things more serious between us and we both agreed that we didn't want that as we were happy with the way things were.

A couple of weeks into filming though, I started to feel a little strange about the way the movie was going because as far as I was concerned they still hadn't found anyone to play Joseph yet and I couldn't help but feel a little worried, given that we had already filmed all of the scenes without the character in it and we didn't have anything else to film right now, at least not until the character had been cast.

The director and the producer of the film played it down, promising that they had lined somebody up for the part but I couldn't help but feel a little disbelieving given I hadn't rehearsed any scenes with the actor who they had apparently cast or even met him to see how we get along whilst doing our lines, because that was also important.

Roxanne and Joseph had a lot of chemistry together so it was important that the actors playing them had that too so that it came across to the viewers.

I was a little surprised when Louise, the director of the film called me to meet at her in her caravan after we had finished filming the very last scene between me and Jamie, but then I couldn't help but feel a little excited too, as I wondered if maybe I was going to finally meet the actor who they had found to play Joseph.

I headed back to my caravan before I went to go and see her and got changed into a plain grey tee shirt, with three quarter sleeves and blue denim jeans with a brown belt, pairing them with some black converses.

It was starting to get a little cold in LA now as evening was starting to draw in which was why I had been so desperate to change beforehand, given that I had just got out of costume too.

I left my hair as the way it looked when they had styled my hair for filming; really curly.

I left my caravan then, running my hand through the top of my hair and brushing it back lazily so that it looked more natural.

I headed straight into Louise's caravan to see that she was in the small kitchen part of her caravan, making tea by the looks of it.

She turned round and smiled and I was relieved to see that she looked just as dressed down as me.

She was very pretty looking, with bright, wide blue eyes and golden blonde hair. She was wearing some old looking jeans and a plain, grey jumper.

I smiled back at her a little warily, wondering why she had called me into her caravan for. I soon found out why.

"Hey thanks for coming sweetie, did you want a cup of tea?" She asked politely, just as the kettle began to boil.

It sounded funny, her asking that in her bubbly New York accent.

I shook my head. "No, thank you." I replied politely, still feeling a little cautious about being called here.

That was no offence to her…it was just a little unusual, as she had never called me into her caravan before.

"Okay, so you're obviously wondering why I'm here."

I nodded in response, still staring at her warily as I rubbed my hands together self-consciously, a habit when I was feeling nervous.

"I found someone for the role as Joseph and I have to say I'm very impressed." She confessed, nodding slowly.

I nodded in response, unable to stop myself from smiling because this truly was brilliant news. This was what I wanted to hear because I was desperate to start filming all the really exciting, important parts of the film now.

"He's quite famous so I was really unsure when Helen, the author mentioned him but as soon as I met him and he sang _come what may_, I could really see him as Joseph."

"Cool, cool…so he has a good voice then?" I asked, intrigued.

She nodded. "Yeah, this is obviously very important, because Joseph has this really amazing voice so yeah…it was important."

I nodded again.

"So…I got him here and I just want to see how you are with him by asking you to perform the scene when Joseph sneaks into Roxanne's apartment to talk to her after they sing _come what may_ on stage."

I nodded. "Err…okay."

"He's in there," she pointed her head to the door on the left of the caravan. "If you go in there and talk to him for a minute or whatever and get to know him a little first and then I'll come in and watch you do the scene."

I nodded again, feeling a little tense as I headed over to the door she had pointed to. The truth was, I knew that this scene was a very important one and I didn't even know the person who would be playing Joseph yet. I also knew how important it was that we got the chemistry of these two characters just right too so I was definitely feeling the pressure.

I pulled open the door slowly, a little resistant to go inside.

That feeling was made even worse when I noticed that inside the room was a bedroom.

I realised it must have been her bedroom too, given how big the room was and how posh it looked too.

On the right of the room there was a large cream sofa with two plush pillows on each side of the sofa and that was just below a built-in television screen on the wall.

On the left of the small room, there was a double bed, with a spotted duvet covering it and a number of pillows sat at the top of the bed.

I headed further into the room, shutting the door behind me and quickly looked round the room, feeling a little confused because I couldn't see that anybody was here.

There was another door, stood opposite from where I was stood and just as I began to wonder where that door lead to, I heard the flush of a toilet, telling me automatically.

I sat on the edge of the bed carefully, facing the doorway I had just come in and took a deep, steady breathe, trying not to hyperventilate.

I just about heard the bathroom door open above me taking deep breaths and trying to keep as calm as possible.

I played idly with my fingers, looking down at my grubby fingernails as I waited for Louise to come back into the room.

"Charlie?"

As soon as I heard that voice, my head instantly darted upwards, so that I was staring at the wall in front of me, rather than my grubby little fingers and when I didn't hear anything else, I was almost certain that I was going absolutely crazy and was now imagining Rob's voice within my head…

I rubbed at my eyes carelessly, realising I must have been more tired than I had thought I initially was.

"Err…Charlie?"

My eyes widened instantly as I heard that voice again and it was only then that I started to realise that I probably wasn't actually going that mad at all and that he was actually really here…

I jumped up from the bed and swung around on the spot quickly, desperately trying to believe that I was just kidding myself here.

I gasped loudly in shock at the man standing in front of me, realising that I wasn't going insane at all. He really was here.

I stared at him in shock, my mouth hung open as I tried to work out if this definitely was real and wasn't just hopeful thinking all on my part.

His hair was wild, strands pulled here, there and everywhere. His skin looked slightly paler than before he had went back to London, bringing out the olive green in his eyes more than before too.

He looked as though he hadn't shaved in a long, long while too because of how thick his beard looked.

Despite his thick beard, there was no denying just how strong and sculptured his jaw looked still though, and as we stood in silence, his eyes were not as wide as they had been a moment ago, when he had looked as though he had seen a ghost the moment I had turned around.

He was wearing a plain yellow tee shirt, with some dull looking jeans and he had pulled a leather jacket over the top too.

He had his black beanie within his hands, which explained why his hair looked as messy as it did now.

He stood awkwardly, running his hand through the top of his hair, his forehead creasing slightly as he did.

And that was when I realised that he was definitely here. I was in no way that good at imagining his features as realistic as that if it was all just a stupid dream.

"Oh god," I complained quietly, before I even knew I had said it.

I felt like I had literally just been punched in the stomach, leaving a wretched, painful pit of despair in its place.

I felt like I was hyperventilating and my legs shook from beneath me as I started to lose my balance.

I stumbled backwards, holding onto the wall for support whilst he stood there, watching me confused and looking as though he was wondering what to do for the best.

And then there was my poor heart.

It literally felt like it was doing flips over and over again and it suddenly felt as though my heart was in my ear, given how loud my heartbeat was.

Either that or I was literally having a heart attack.

"It can't…it can't be you. You can't…can't be really here." I insisted, more to myself as I tried desperately to get over the fact that he was actually in front of my eyes, rather than just in my imagination.

His mouth turned up, shaping into a smirk.

"So what am I…just part of your imagination?" He teased playfully.

My eyes widened again in response as I finally realised that he was definitely here for real. That was his mouth moving as he spoke, that cheeky, London accent of his too, which even now, still managed to send shivers down my spine.

I shook my head adamantly as he watched me carefully.

I couldn't do this, no matter how much I had wanted this role. I couldn't do this film with _him_ as Joseph! I couldn't kiss him or act out the love scenes with…_him_! There was no way; not feeling the way I was right now.

I had missed him so much, I really had, and I didn't even realise just how much until seeing him again now but I had broken up with him to try and do him a favour. The thought of spending any alone time with him over the next few weeks was just far too much for me to bear, given how much I was struggling around him, even now.

"I can't do this," I stated firmly, before turning away from him desperately, about to walk out of the bedroom when the door flung open, catching me off guard.

I stumbled backwards in shock as Louise poked her head through the door. She watched me confused, wondering what was wrong.

"You okay sweetie?" She asked me concerned, before taking a look over at Rob, or so I presumed. "Ahh…so you met Rob then. I can _definitely_ imagine him as Joseph." She stated excitedly, heading further into the bedroom.

I turned in time to see Rob smiling shyly, running his hand through the top of his hair in response, before accepting a cup from Louise.

I chewed on the edge of my bottom lip awkwardly, really not feeling very comfortable at all right now.

I kept catching myself staring at him without myself even realising it and even when I tried not to, I kept forgetting myself and did it again constantly.

Louise took a seat on the edge of the bed as I stood there awkwardly, watching her nervously and trying so hard not to look back at Rob.

I couldn't help but notice from the corner of my eyes though that he too was stood up, looking just as awkward as I was.

She looked at both of us and smiled. "Right, so I was thinking that you two could act out from when Joseph comes into her room, and just up until the kiss." She spelled it out for us more clearly.

I stared at her confused, as I realised in horror exactly what that meant.

"So…you want us both to sing…now?" I asked in horror, knowing that was exactly what she wanted.

I felt horrified by the idea because Rob hadn't heard me sing before and I couldn't help but feel a little paranoid and worried about what might sound like. I wanted to sound my best and the very thought of singing in front of Rob frightened right now me half to death.

She nodded, looking confused by my horror. Oh, if only she knew!

"Yeah, if that's okay." She smiled.

I forced a nod, despite how much I literally wanted to run out of there, knowing that I had little other choice.

I was more relieved that she had a CD player to play the karaoke version as it made me feel more comfortable with the music playing in the background, despite how nervous I was about singing in front of him.

I started it awkwardly, refusing to look at him first of all because I was just too scared, but of course that didn't go unnoticed by Louise.

"Make the connection by staring into each other's eyes; the songs words are meaningful and powerful and the audience needs to believe what you're saying." She commented from where she sat on the bed.

I took in a deep breath and forced myself to look up, before instantly regretting it.

I looked straight into his intense green eyes, which were smouldering and heavy as he lost himself into the music, which was exactly what I should have been doing.

It was easier though, as he reached out for my hand and entwined our fingers, just like they were meant to in the movie.

God, it felt so good holding his hand again and as soon as his skin touched mine, I got myself lost inside the depths of them beautiful eyes of his, wishing to god that this was real.

If I had thought that his voice, the way he talked couldn't be more any beautiful, then I was sadly mistaken.

The way he sung…it was incredible. He had such an amazing voice and it sent tingles all through my body every single time he sung and every time we sung together, our voice combined into one great harmony.

He was obviously such a good actor, to stand this close to me, to stare at me so adoringly if he was completely in love with me, when I knew for definite that he wasn't.

And I couldn't help but feel saddened when the song came to an end as I knew it meant that out duet was over and the next time we did, we would have do it a lot less privately, in front of a whole crew and a number of cameras.

I didn't know what to do next and I literally felt as though I was frozen to the ground as my eyes continued to search his, still completely lost in the music.

Louise's voice quickly interrupted our long moment of silence from beside us.

"Wow that was…well, incredibly intense and _exactly_ what I'm looking for. That was brilliant!" She insisted confidently.

He was the first to break eye contact with me, quickly looking over at where Louise was sat and smiling awkwardly over at her as he ran his fingers through the top of his hair.

God, he was so adorable. And god, I really wanted to kiss him.

But I knew I couldn't, because I knew I wasn't allowed. I knew I would just have to hold back as much as I possibly could, despite how hard that would be.

Finally, I forced myself to pull my eyes away from his, despite how much I could have quite easily stared at him all day, taking in every single beautiful feature about him, every single little thing that I had missed so badly about him.

And as soon as she let us both go once she was satisfied, I rushed out of her caravan, mumbling a quick goodbye to her in a desperate bid to leave.

I would have to get a taxi back home which I wasn't looking forward to, but I was already quickly heading out onto the street, knowing there would be taxi's parked up down the end of the road.

"Charlie!"

I groaned in despair as I heard my name being called by Rob because that was the last thing I needed right now. Even his voice calling my name was enough to send shivers down my spine in response.

I knew I couldn't have ignored him though because it wasn't right and it wasn't fair on him. I had already put him through enough crap before he had left.

I forced myself to stop and turn around, just as Rob had gotten over to my side.

I had forgotten just how tall he was until now and there was no doubting at all how handsome he looked with his black beanie tucked on his head and his guitar case hanging over one shoulder.

I was totally breathless the moment my eyes came into contact with them sweetly intense, green eyes of his and the way he looked completely awkward now he was stood in front of me, as though he wasn't sure what to say now.

"How…how are you?" He stuttered nervously on his words, sounding unsure of what to say to me exactly.

I stared up at him, distracted by his features, before realising he was waiting for me to speak and I was just stood there like an idiot.

"Urm…yeah…fine…I guess." I stuttered out awkwardly, still too distracted with taking in every single feature that belonged to Rob, not wanting to miss a single opportunity. "Err…you?" I forced the question out of my mouth.

He nodded, his forehead still creased in concentration.

I nodded back in response, not knowing what else to say in response now. I wanted to spend all day and night talking to Rob but I also realised that I needed to get a taxi home as it was now getting pretty late and we all started filming pretty early tomorrow morning.

"Err…look, I need to get a taxi home, so-"

"Well, I can drop you home, if you'd like." He quickly suggested eagerly, interrupting me before I could finish my explanation.

Oh, I liked very much, too much in fact. He just didn't realise it.

He was watching me closely as he waited for me to reply, looking almost…hopeful, or maybe I was just imagining it.

"Erm…well only if you didn't mind?" I made certain before I accepted his lift home as I didn't want him to feel like he had to. I really wanted him to say yes though, because spending any time with him sounded delightful to me.

He shook his head automatically.

"Oh no, not at all…in actual fact, I'm planning to stop by your house for a bit." He confessed, surprising me a little.

I stared at him in shock, raising my eyebrows in curiosity as I didn't expect to hear that he was stopping.

"Oh…"

"Yeah," he nodded, shrugging awkwardly. "It's er…just that I text Kellan and Jackson to let them both know that I was home yesterday and they really wanted to see me. I knew they would be at your house, given how much time they spend there now." He confessed, his mouth turning up into a shy smile and instantly getting my attention again.

God, those lips. Those amazing, sweet, intense lips which were so capable of the most sensual, amazing kisses…

"Err yeah…of course," I stuttered awkwardly, my eyes still on them glorious lips of his.

He stared at me confused for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took the whole of me in.

"Erm…shall we go then?" He asked uncertainly.

I forced my eyes away from his face and back down at the floor, despite how much I didn't want to look away from him and cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Yeah, of course…sorry." I apologised awkwardly, beginning to follow him back into the parking lot where all the cars were parked in a row.

I stayed staring down at the floor, shoving my hands into the front of my jean pockets as I remained silent whilst I followed him over to his car, not sure on what to say or do.

We remained like that until we got over to where he had parked it. As soon as we were there, he followed me over to the passenger side of the car. I already knew what he was going to do before he did it, because I knew him better than I had even realised.

He pulled open the door and smiled nervously at me as he waited until I got into the car.

I got in to the car without comment, wishing to god he didn't have to make it any harder in trying to resist him. The effect he had on my poor heart was irrational and with every little thing that he did, my heartbeat instantly sped up without my control or permission.

Luckily, he walked slowly round to the driver's side of the car, after putting his guitar in the boot, which gave me time to calm down.

I watched him in the corner of my eye as he got himself strapped in slowly and began to carefully pull out of the car space he had parked in.

He was a good driver and even though it was stupid, I couldn't help but feel jealous with how he handled the steering wheel. His hands looked so strong, so firm and in control…

I instantly stared out of the front of the window, trying so hard to put that little daydream to the back of my head before it got out of control.

"It's…really nice to see you again." He confessed sheepishly, sounding really embarrassed and as though he wasn't sure on whether he should tell me that or not.

I glanced round in the corner of my eye, curious to see the expression on his face.

He was keeping his eyes to the front of the car, concentrating as he pulled outside the parking lot, but I could see that his jaw looked a little tense.

I instantly melted then and there, feeling so sorry because I could tell he genuinely meant what he had said.

"Yeah…you too." I replied softly, unable to fight honesty.

God, I had missed him. And god, it really was good to see him again. I couldn't lie to him about that.

He smiled slightly in response, looking pleased to hear that but as soon as I saw that smile, it instantly made my stomach drop.

Because I realised that I shouldn't have been honest with him like how I had, not when I was meant to be technically 'dating' Jamie.

"How was London anyway?" I asked him curiously, changing the subject as quickly as I could when I realised my mistake.

He smiled fondly in response and I knew why. I knew how much he loved being in London so it must have been nice to spend some time at home.

"Yeah, it was good thanks…it was nice to spend time with family, you know…catch up. Weather was awful though, but then again, you expect that in Britain." He joked, smirking as he said it.

I grinned back, finding it only too easy to play along with his joke. "Yep; typical British summer."

He chuckled deeply in response and I couldn't help but shudder a little bit. I had missed his sweet, cheeky laugh.

"Whereas in LA…"

"Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine." I finished for him, still grinning at him in response.

It wasn't at all awkward between us now and I couldn't deny that I was really glad about that because I had missed just chatting like this with him.

"You should make the most of that, given that you've only got…what, a month left?" He guessed, looking round at me for a second.

I shrugged, trying to ignore the way my heart constricted as he smiled at me.

"I don't have to be back until the start of October at the very latest, so…I might just decide to stay here and make the most of it."

He grinned in response and I had to chew on the bottom edge of my lip again, trying to fight away the deeply pleased feeling in seeing how happy he was with knowing that.

I sighed unhappily as we pulled outside the front of my house, knowing that although I could spend time with him still at home, it wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't just be me and him…it would have been everyone.

I accepted his offer as he held open the car door though, without comment again.

I couldn't find it in me to moan at him for doing it or glaring at him, not when I had missed him as much as I had. All I could do now was smile in response because I liked him doing it for me a lot more now.

We walked slowly to the front door of the house, keeping the pace easily with each other and I couldn't help but smile as he stood beside me on the doorstep, looking awkward as he ran his hand through the top of his hair again in response.

"How's Bear?" I asked curiously, turning to smile at him.

I didn't want to go into the house yet; so instead, I stood with the key in my hand, turning to look towards Rob as we talked.

I genuinely was asking about Bear because I cared, because his dog was so cute and although I had only met him once, I knew his dog meant a lot to him.

He nodded in response. "Yeah, he's good, thank you. He missed me a lot." He confessed, with a shy smile.

I stared at him confused, wondering what he meant.

I knew he hadn't stayed in London for very long but part of me assumed that he might have taken Bear with him, due to how much he cared about his pet.

"Did you not take him with you to London?"

He shook his head, his forehead creasing in concentration again. He looked so cute like that, like he was thinking really hard about something or other.

"I thought it was a bit much for him…as I only really wanted a break from LA for just a couple of weeks." He confessed. "I dropped him round to Kristen's just before I left and she dropped him back to the house this morning."

He stared at me closely the whole time, not flinching once as he spoke, even when he mentioned Kristen's name.

I knew exactly why he was doing it for and I couldn't deny that I was quite impressed that he had managed it.

Before he had left for London, he could hardly mention Kristen's name without flinching and now, it seemed he wasn't bothered by the thought of his ex-girlfriend one single bit.

Yes, it was fair to say that I was rather impressed and definitely intrigued too.

"Oh cool…yeah, I forgot you shared Bear." I admitted a little sheepishly, nodding once in response.

He nodded, watching me carefully still, his eyes tracing every part of my face as he replied to that.

"Yeah, we do…but the thing is, we have to. I guess Bear's a bit like our kid in the way…that's probably my fault though. I've always spoiled him." He confessed sheepishly, unable to fight away a smile.

I nodded simply in response, because hearing that Bear was like their 'child' made me feel even worse.

"But that's all there is to it. I just know it wouldn't be fair to stop her seeing him or whatever, because we adopted him together. That's the only reason we need to keep I contact." He spelled it out for me, watching me very closely as he spoke each word, making it clear just how insignificant the information was.

I nodded again, unable to stop myself from smiling as I realised how desperate he was to make it clear that there was nothing between him and Kristen. And I believed him; how could I not, when he was desperately trying to make me believe that he was completely over her now.

"Yeah, I understand how it is. It sounds stupid, but when you have a pet together, you do get really attached. I know I've never had a dog or cat shared with anyone, but my brother has. You get really attached and I don't think anyone who isn't a pet owner can really understand why that is."

He nodded in agreement as I spoke, obviously agreeing to what I was saying.

"Yeah, exactly," he agreed with a smile.

I looked down at the key which I had in my hand still, realising we should probably get inside before anybody started to recognise me and him stood together outside.

As soon as I opened the door, I could tell everyone must have been round because I could hear loud chattering coming from the living room, which made sense given that Rob had come round to see Jackson and Kellan.

I smiled awkwardly at Rob as he followed me into the hallway, both of us staring at each other warily.

It seemed like he really had missed me over the last few weeks and I couldn't help but wish that he had come back a little sooner, preferably before I had met Jamie on that night out.

Knowing that we would have to go and say hello to everyone in the living room, I started to make my way there first.

I could hear Rob following from behind me, telling me he was following me still.

I poked my head around the living room, turning to smile at everyone who was sat on the sofas and that was when I noticed something was wrong.

Jamie was sat on the floor, sat by the foot of one of the sofas, besides where Jackson and Rachael were sat.

I certainly wasn't expecting to see him here tonight and now I was starting to panic a little bit, given that Rob was stood just behind the living room door.

He grinned at me sweetly, but before he could say anything, I instantly beat him to it very quickly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him curiously, trying to keep my voice as light as physically possible.

He didn't seem fazed by my question though.

"Sorry, I got off early and thought I'd surprise you." He confessed, sounding sheepish about that.

I just nodded in response, still not too impressed about that.

I could see Rob trying to look around the door from beside me so knowing that I couldn't try and waste any more time, I gave in.

I walked further into the living room so that Rob could walk into the living room too, from behind me.

As soon as he came into the living room, Rachael and Tasha practically screamed in response, jumping up excitedly from the sofa.

Kellan grinned, clapping his hand together and jumping off the sofa too and Jackson just grinned in response, getting off of the sofa too.

Rachael and Tasha hugged him first before Kellan headed over to me, laughing along with him as he gave him what I presumed was a 'man hug', which was basically him hugging him before they clapped hands together.

I looked back to Jamie, to see him watching Rob closely, a look of surprise on his face in response to him being here.

I understood how he felt but in all honesty, I was too excited about the fact that Rob was actually here because it was so good to see him again and I thought it was so cute, given how happy everyone was to see him again.

Rob laughed awkwardly about all the attention that he was getting from everyone, making me grin in response.

"Well, it's nice to see everyone again." He insisted, running his hand through the top of his hair awkwardly.

Kellan grinned. "Yeah, well I know it's only been about three weeks, but it's definitely been quieter without you." Kellan confessed.

Rob snorted. "What, even with Rachael here." He joked, pointing his head to Rachael, who was back sitting on the sofa beside Jackson.

"Well, a tad." Kellan joked, laughing along with him.

It wasn't as awkward as I was convinced it would and I was more than glad about that. I was even more relieved as it appeared that Jamie was sort of keeping his way from me, because I didn't want him to come up and snuggle with me as I knew it would make things awkward between me and Rob.

Jamie just remained sitting by the sofa, looking really awkward and as though he wasn't sure what to say and do for the best.

I felt really bad for him but then he shouldn't have come round here uninvited because then he wouldn't be feeling as awkward as he is now. I didn't mind him coming round; I just found it a little weird that he had come round here without mentioning it to me given that he had seemed to be so fine with taking things slow between us.

It just all felt a little…weird for me.

"So what were you doing back in London then?" Kellan asked Rob intrigued after he passed Rob a bear to drink.

Rob shrugged, looking casual about that.

"Not a lot, to be honest," he confessed rather sheepishly, running his hand through the top of his hair and chuckling in response.

I smiled, unable to help myself.

"Literally, just been spending loads and loads of time with my family and stuff, and sitting around, messing about on my guitar…just been spending three weeks doing nothing." He laughed again.

Kellan nodded, laughing along with him.

"Sounds good to me." He insisted.

"You look as though you need a good shave, Rob." Rachael spoke up as soon as it had gone quiet; smirking over at Rob so that he could see clearly for himself that she was just teasing him about that.

He grinned. "Yeah, you don't look too bad yourself, Rach." He teased.

She huffed in response. "Well I look better than you do right now, darling." She teased back, making him laugh.

As everyone starting chatting amongst themselves, I got up from where I was sat on the floor and moving away from Jamie, completely ignoring him staring at me as I did.

I made my way into the kitchen to grab myself a glass of water, drinking it back slowly as I stood leaning against the counter, still feeling a little shocked that Rob was actually back.

Yes, I knew fully well that Los Angeles was his home, but the truth was, I hadn't really believed that he would come back, especially not so soon anyway.

"So…"

I jumped a little in response to hearing Rob's voice so close and instantly looked back up in shock and straight to where he was stood, just beside the kitchen door.

Of course as soon as I looked at him, I couldn't help but smile in response.

Even with that thick beard of his, he still looked absolutely gorgeous and he still managed to take my breath away.

He was watching me carefully, a funny look in his eyes, which I couldn't quite work out was about.

So instead, I stayed quiet and continued watching him, not too sure on what to say now. He was sometimes just a little too good looking for his own good.

He smiled slightly, though it looked tight and forced.

"You and Jamie then, huh?" He commented as lightly as possible, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

My smile instantly dropped from my face and I stared back at him in shock, gaping at him confused as I tried desperately to work out how he had realised that.

It wasn't as though I had made it obvious or anything and though I knew Jamie had kept looking over at me a few times, I didn't really think he would have worked it out.

My heart was racing within my chest and my stomach instantly dropped as I tried so hard to work out what to say.

He shrugged, forcing another smile.

"I kind of just…figured it out." He confessed sheepishly.

"Oh erm…well…it's nothing serious." I quickly blurted out, before I could stop myself, flushing nervously as soon as the words had slipped out of my mouth.

He stared at me in surprise, watching me closely and I instantly dropped my head in embarrassment, staring down at my empty glass of water.

"Oh-"

"I just mean…well, we're not even properly in a relationship, not really." I added quickly as I continued staring gown at my glass of water in my hands, interrupting whatever he was going to say.

I looked up, curiously throwing a glance at Rob who was still stood in the corner of the kitchen, watching me carefully.

Instantly, I wanted to explain further about what I meant by that.

"We're sort of…dating but…that's it." I confessed sheepishly, hoping desperately that he would understand what I meant by that.

He nodded again, running a hand through the top of his hair, before he looked down at the floor, chewing on the edge of his bottom lip.

I couldn't help but mimic him as I stared at that wonderful mouth of his, feeling jealous of his teeth which were digging into his lip.

"So…basically, what you're saying is you're free, to date someone else if you wanted to?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he looked back upwards at me and instantly back at me as he addressed my reaction to his question.

I felt as though I couldn't breathe, especially because he was watching me so closely.

"Urm…well, yeah." I forced myself to reply, my stomach tightening to a painful extent as I tried desperately not to panic as I said this.

I realised it must have been obvious about what I meant, because he smiled slightly in response, telling me he had worked out what I was trying to say.

"So…someone like me?" He replied as casually as possible, looking back up at me from under his eyes as he finally stopped biting his bottom lip.

His forehead was a little creased in concentration as he waited for my response and I instantly caught my breath once again.

God, he had such an utter effect on me.

Certain I wouldn't be able to find my voice, I forced a nod in response.

His eyes instantly ducked, just before a slight smile reappeared back on his face and I couldn't help but smile back in response.

He seemed pleased to hear that and I was glad that I had been honest with him and told him that as he still meant a lot to me, despite how I had dumped him.

I couldn't lie and say that I didn't have feelings for him, not when there were so many moments when I was with him when he literally took my breath away.

All I knew was that I literally wanted to spend every second of the day and whenever I was with him, I fully enjoyed his company.

His eye finally looked up and his forehead creased a little bit again, though this time he looked curious about something or other.

"May I ask you a question?" He asked quickly, stepping further into the room so that he was stood opposite the high table, just opposite me.

I instantly nodded, wondering what he was about to ask me.

"Urm…it's a bit personal, and I probably don't really have the right to ask….but…I was just wondering…" He confessed sheepishly, watching me closely as he confessed this.

I nodded again, letting him know it was fine. I was curious now about whatever he wanted to ask me and I doubt I could have said no to him.

He looked a little embarrassed, which made me feel even more curious about whatever it was that he wanted to ask me.

I realised that it was obviously quite personal because he seemed to be taking ages to work up the courage to ask me.

He looked away from me; back down at the table in front of him, running his hand through the top of his hair again and messing it up even more.

"Urm…you and Jamie…" he began to ask, trailing off awkwardly as he tried to think the right way to ask whatever it was that he was desperate to ask me.

"Have you erm…slept together?" He finally asked me slowly, sounding really embarrassed about asking me it.

I was a little confused as to why he was asking me and why it was even important, but it obviously was.

His forehead was still creased and he kept his eyes downwards as he waited patiently for my response, looking as though he was hoping that the answer was a no.

I instantly began to feel a little sick because obviously, I couldn't lie to him. I had slept with Jamie, but it was just the once.

I knew that if I told him though that it would probably ruin things between us, which was why he had obviously asked me but I also knew I definitely couldn't lie to him. I wanted to be honest with him as I always did because if I lied to him and he found out, then it would make things a whole lot worse.

I never wanted to lie to him because if anything did happen between us, I wanted it to be based on honesty.

"Urm…once, when I first met him again." I confessed sheepishly, watching him closely as he took that in. "But it was only the once." I quickly added.

He nodded in response, keeping his eyes downwards and my stomach instantly dropped, as I began to realise I had probably messed things up now.

I didn't understand why it was important though; it wasn't as though I had been dating Rob at the time or whatever.

"Does it…well, does it matter?" I asked him quickly before I could stop myself, stuttering nervously over my words.

"A little," he replied carefully, instantly making me more curious as to find out why he had such a problem about the idea.

"Why?" I whispered, uncertain on whether I wanted to hear his response to that.

He shrugged a little in response, backing away from the table a little a bit so that he provided more space between us.

"It just…it changes things between us." He spelled it out for me, which was basically him telling me that there was no chance he wanted to date me now.

I watched, flabbergasted as he headed out of the kitchen quickly, keeping his back turned to me as he made his way away from me.

I stood there for ages, watching the doorway in shock and wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

If he hadn't wanted to date me, he should have just said, but yet…I didn't feel like it was like that at all.

I wasn't stupid; I could tell it was definitely the thought of me having slept with Jamie that had changed things between us, but why on earth would he have such a problem with it for?

It had just been the once after all.

Whilst I stood, desperately trying to work out why he would have such a problem with Jamie for, Jamie walked straight through the kitchen door, interrupting my thoughts.

I knew they had met once before at the very least, when we were at the club and Jamie had been really drunk but that couldn't have been the problem, surely.

Jamie raised an eyebrow at me as I began to wash up my glass in the sink.

"What's up with Pattinson?" He asked nosily as he took a seat at the high table, watching me closely.

I huffed sourly, not appreciating the way he called him by his last name.

"It's Rob," I corrected him sourly, ignoring him roll his eyes at me in response. "And I don't know…why, has he said something?" I lied, knowing I couldn't exactly tell him that I had pretty much asked him out and he had turned me down.

Some would say, rightly after I had been stupid enough to dump him.

"He just told everyone he was going and then he just left without saying a proper goodbye to anyone. He looked really pissed off actually…" he confessed, trailing off as he thought about that for a moment.

I frowned in response, wondering what on earth Rob's problem was.

I couldn't help but feel as though it was my fault but surely, he would have preferred me to be honest rather than lie to him about.

"It's funny though," Jamie thought aloud, making me feel confused.

I stared at him, trying to work out what was with his mood now, as he seemed to be busy thinking about something or other.

"What is?"

He shrugged. "Hmm…well that he seemed perfectly fine all night and he seemed really happy to see everyone and then…as soon as he came in here to talk to you…he was pissed off straight away." He explained, staring at me suspiciously.

I nodded, keeping my eyes downwards, at the table which was stood in the middle of us and shrugged awkwardly.

"Oh…well, he seemed perfectly fine when I had been talking to him." I lied, not wanting to lie to him but knowing I had little choice.

I couldn't tell him the truth about me asking Rob out because Jamie already sounded pissed off as it was and I definitely wasn't in the mood to have an argument or whatever with him.

"Well whatever you were talking about obviously must have affected him." He insisted as I chewed awkwardly on my bottom lip, hoping he would just drop it. "You must have quite the effect on him."

I wasn't sure what he was trying to get at, but I'd had enough of whatever he was trying to say to me then.

My cheeks were already flushing with bright red because of his accusations he was trying to throw at me and I quickly rounded around the table, desperate to get out of the kitchen and away from him.

"Well now you're just being silly," I tried to laugh it off, running my hand through the top of my hair out of awkwardness; a trait I had picked up from Rob though I hoped Jamie wouldn't notice that.

"Where are you going?"

I gasped a little from surprise as I was pulled back by Jamie. His hand grabbed my wrist roughly, turning me round to face him properly.

He was watching me closely and I could see from his face that he wasn't joking about this, despite the fact that he still had his hand constricted tightly around my wrist so that I couldn't move, even if I wanted to.

"Err…to see the girls," I replied a little awkwardly, feeling a little unnerved with the way he was touching me.

He continued to stare at me, his hands tightening even further around my small wrist so that it ached from the force of his steel grip.

I stared at him in shock, wondering what the hell his problem was.

"You're _hurting_ me," I spelled it out for him clearly; wondering if that would even make him let go of me.

He continued to watch me, an angry look within his eyes, before he finally let go of my wrist so that I was free to walk away from him.

I stood there for another second as he finally turned away from me, taking a sip of a bottle of beer he had in his hands, wondering what the hell had gotten into him.

I quickly headed back out of the kitchen, trying to get my head around what had actually just happened.

The way he had looked at me…it was weird.

The truth was, I wasn't too sure on what to think at all and though I tried desperately to make myself believe that he was probably just drunk and hadn't realised how tight he was holding my wrist…I couldn't help but wonder if this was the start of things to come…


	22. Disagreements

**Disagreements**

Over the next few weeks, I was less than enthusiastic about spending time with Jamie because I felt a little uncomfortable given how he had handled me when were alone together the night Rob had come back, but he must have been able to sense that as he tried desperately to make things up with me.

Whenever he came to see me, he would bring flowers with him and he acted a lot nicer than when he had been round the house that night.

I appreciated it but I couldn't help but wonder if he thought things were a bit more serious between us now as he was certainly acting like that.

I still felt uncomfortable around him and I wasn't sure whether or not to say something to him and remind him that I didn't want anything serious or just leave it.

I'd never really been in that position before.

I'd dated someone who I wasn't really that interested in, because we had been friends before we had started dating and decided to give it a try. But when I told him that, we had managed to end things maturely and I couldn't help but doubt that Jamie would be able to do the same given how he acted towards me sometimes.

I didn't know what to do for the best.

I wasn't with him out of convenience because he really was a very nice person and despite how he had been that one time, he actually did treat me with respect.

I just didn't want to hurt him because I absolutely hated hurting other people and I wanted to avoid that at all costs as I knew it would just make me feel guilty.

However, I also knew that Jamie was probably being nicer to me too because of the fact that Rob hadn't been round the house very much either.

I hadn't even seen Rob much when we were filming as we had been doing scenes with my character more than anyone else's and the truth was, I wasn't looking forward to filming the scenes with Rob and Jamie, as I knew it was going to be awkward and I didn't believe that Jamie liked Rob very much at all, given how angry he had gotten that night when Rob had come round the house.

But of course, eventually we did have to start filming the scenes with Rob and Jamie as our three characters were the central ones.

We started with the Come What May scene, with me and Rob on stage and Jamie watching in the audience.

It was as awkward as I imagined it to be because the truth was; I could definitely tell that Jamie was jealous with how close Rob and I were on the stage.

It seemed really strange to me given that we should have all been used to this sort of thing by now.

It was more awkward for me, given that Rob wasn't really talking to me and we still had to film scenes together. The two characters were so close and I worried that I found it too easy to act as though I desired Rob because I completely and utterly did.

I also worried how obvious it was to everyone watching.

I'd agreed to go home to Jamie's house to get ready as it was closer to the nightclub that we were all planning to go to tonight with the girls after we finished filming tonight, but as soon as we had left work, I started to wonder if going back to Jamie's house was really such a good idea after all.

He was hardly talking to me and I couldn't help but wonder if I'd done something wrong, despite the fact that I hadn't. All I had done was stay in character when we were filming but I had tried really not to get distracted by Rob or think of him in such a way.

As soon as we arrived home, he headed outside to sit by himself.

I headed straight outside after him, curious to see what the hell was up with him as he had been funny with me all day.

By the time I got outside, he had his hand in his hair and he looked stressed for whatever reason that was.

"What's up with you?" I asked him confused, coming to make my way over to him to sit next to him.

He sighed heavily in response, sounding frustrated by me, though god knows why that was; because I hadn't thought I had been doing anything wrong at all.

"Like you need to ask." He spat bitterly at me, making me even more confused as I sat beside him on the bench.

"Well…obviously I do, because I haven't got a clue what you're on about." I snapped back angrily, wondering what the hell his problem was exactly.

He huffed angrily, getting up from where he was sat on the other side of the bench. I watched him in shock, trying not to get too panicked, given that I hadn't done _anything_ wrong so I didn't deserve him getting angry at me for nothing.

"You couldn't make it any more obvious…the way you look at _Rob_." He spat, spelling out his name as though it was a dirty word.

I glared at him in shock, trying to work out if he was actually being serious. It seemed that he definitely was.

"For god sake, you're being so pathetic! We were filming a scene together for god sake, how else was I meant to bloody look at him?"

"How dare you!" He enraged furiously, grabbing me by the top of my arm and shoving me off of the bench.

I gasped in shock, too badly in shock to do anything as his grip on my arm tightened so that he was really hurting me now. I yelped in pain, trying to pull myself away from me but he wouldn't let me go.

"You think you can just speak to me like that?" He asked me angrily, shaking me furiously and making me yelp from pain again. He looked so angry, so furious that he actually was starting to frighten me.

I just didn't have a clue what his problem was.

"Ouch, you're really hurting me!" I warned him desperately, hoping he would let go of me as soon as I had said that.

But instead, his grip on my arm tightened even more, making me cry out from the pain. I had a feeling that I would bruise because of how violent his touch was, but that still didn't seem to be bothering him.

"Well then, maybe this will teach you a lesson and make you remember that no matter what you do, Rob doesn't want you." He spat, before he shoved me backwards roughly, instantly sending me flying.

I felt my feet slip beneath me, making me gasp in shock and I yelped out in pain as I landed on the floor.

My left shoulder was aching from where I had landed on it, but I knew nothing was broken. I just felt more embarrassed than anything, despite it only being me and Jamie here and nobody else.

He'd left me on the floor and despite how embarrassed I was with him flying at me like that, I forced myself up and sat myself down on the bench again.

I stayed there for ages, not knowing whether or not to go back in the house or not, because I didn't want to get in any more trouble with him. I was too frightened.

I knew I had to get ready for tonight though, so I forced myself to be brave, despite not feeling it at all and began to head back inside, hoping to god that he wasn't inside.

When I heard the front door slammed close, I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had left me to get ready.

I went upstairs and got showered then, taking my time in there as I thought about what had just happened. I was still in a little bit of shock because I had never been in this situation before and the truth was, I really wasn't sure on what to do for the best because the thought of angering Jamie even more terrified the hell out of me.

My upper arm was bruised and my left shoulder was really bruised too, so I knew I had to find something that covered them up, so that nobody saw them and got suspicious.

I wasn't sure on what the hell I was going to do, but I definitely didn't want anyone finding out about the bruises.

I had a couple of dresses round here because it was just easier to have a few spare clothes to choose from on a night out or whatever if I came around his.

I ended up choosing a black dress, with thin, mesh-style, long sleeves which luckily just about covered up the bruises on my upper arms. There was a silver sparkling belt around the middle, breaking up the darkness of the dress and the dress had a slight plunging neckline, but it wasn't too bad.

I left my hair down, leaving my hair naturally wavy. I didn't put much make-up on because the truth was, I wasn't sure whether or not Rob was coming out with us tonight and I didn't want to anger Jamie by putting loads of make-up on in case Rob was there.

I headed downstairs and into the living room, to see Jamie was sat on the sofa and he looked up curiously at me before huffing in response.

"Keeping your arms covered, I see," he spat angrily as he got up from the sofa and headed over to the door, where I was stood, too frozen to do anything. "You look better with your arms covered anyway. They look disgusting."

I lost it then, feeling so angry at the way he thought he could talk to me like that and get away with it, just because he lost his temper easily.

I kept my mouth shut until he had walked out of the living room so that if I needed to run, it would be easier with some distance from him.

"Who the hell do you think you are, Jamie?" I snapped furiously, watching him head into the kitchen, not looking at all bothered with me being angry with him. "You talk to me like utter crap and think you can get away with it. I'm only wearing this stupid dress because you lost your temper tonight so least you can do is show me a bit of bloody respect." I snapped.

I turned to walk back upstairs and continue getting ready, but he had already managed to get to me, shoving me back into the wall before I could look round and see that he was coming for me. I gasped as he shoved the front of my head into the wall, though not too hard as to seriously hurt me or bruise me.

"I think you're forgetting who you are, more like." He warned me angrily, as his hands pressed around both of my wrists even tighter, keeping them held around my back so that I literally couldn't do anything.

"You're hurting me again!" I warned desperately, though he refused to listen to me begging him to stop.

"Just make sure you keep your eyes to yourself tonight, or I swear to god, it won't be just you with the bruises." He snapped icily, tightening his frightening grip on my wrist even more and terrifying me.

As soon as he finished his threat, he let go of me again and I watched as he headed into the living room as soon as he had gotten a beer for himself, trying to be as brave as possible and look as though I wasn't bothered right until he left the room.

I sunk to the floor, putting my head into my hands, which were shaking from the fear of what had just happened and knew I was definitely stuck with him now.

Because I knew exactly what Jamie was like and I completely believed him when he said that it wasn't just me who was in trouble tonight. I genuinely believed him and I was so frightened that he might have actually ended up hurting Rob that I was determined not to go anywhere near him as much as possible because the last thing I wanted to do was get him hurt.

I would have never forgiven myself, knowing it was my fault.

I wasn't even up for going out with everyone, not now that Jamie was making it obvious about what sort of mood he was in tonight.

I knew there was no talking to him when he was like this and I didn't want anybody else to get caught in the crosswire.

I knew I had promised the girls that I would go out though and I didn't want to let them down either so I didn't say anything as Jamie and I got a taxi to the club, which was just literally around the corner from our house.

Jamie hadn't exactly dressed up for tonight, choosing just to put some jeans and a loose tee shirt on, but I knew it was pointless in saying anything to him, not tonight anyway.

As soon as we left his house, he was lovely again as soon as we got into the taxi, putting his arm around me and kissing me on the cheek.

I forced myself to pretend that I didn't mind, despite how much I was getting fed up with his constant switching of moods, because I knew there was absolutely no point in saying anything to him at all.

As soon as we were outside of the nightclub, he pulled me from behind him a little roughly by holding my hand which I knew was more for him to control me with more than anything else. He certainly wasn't being sweet that was for sure.

There were no paparazzi around yet, which was a good thing because the last thing I wanted was people to find out about us sort of being a couple. Especially not after the way he had been acting lately.

We headed into the club straight away as Rachael had booked us all to go straight in and straight into the VIP section, and I followed him into the club, excited to see the girls as it meant that I could have some space away from him too for a little bit.

We found them straight away as soon as headed into the VIP section, sat in a booth at the very side of the room, away from everyone else.

I smiled nervously at everyone but my stomach quickly dropped the moment that my eyes landed on Rob, sat next to Jackson at the end of the booth.

He was impossibly gorgeous without even making the effort.

His hair looked as though it had been styled a little neater tonight and he had finally shaved his beard off, so that he just had a little bit of stubble now.

He was wearing a smart black shirt, with short sleeves, showing off his muscular arms. He paired it with jeans and smart looking, black shoes.

As soon as he caught me looking at him, he smiled in response, before he noticed that Jamie and I were holding hands.

I quickly slipped my hand out of his, desperately hoping he wouldn't notice as he said hello to everyone, but as soon as I had, he turned back to look at me, glaring at me angrily as he shoved his hand back in mine, not giving me any choice.

He turned and stared at Rob, not looking very happy that he was still looking at me and I quickly ducked my gaze, desperately hoping Rob wouldn't get into any trouble because of me.

That was the last thing I wanted.

I hoped that Jamie would behave himself tonight, but instead, he seemed to be trying to make it obvious to everyone that we were happy and that I had chosen to be with Jamie.

Even though really…it was pretty much a lack of choice, more than anything.

I tried desperately to stop him trying to kiss me and hug me all the time as I could see that it was starting to wind Rob up, but Jamie made it obvious that he wasn't going to stop and that I had little choice in the matter of when he wanted to kiss me or hug me.

And as soon as the girls went to the bathroom and Rob, Jackson and Kellan left to get more drinks in at the bar; Jamie made it obvious to me that he wasn't happy with my reaction towards him.

He shoved my face forwards by pulling roughly on the back of my hair, so that I was closer to him, knowing I wouldn't be able to complain without causing attention.

I stayed as quiet as possible, ignoring the awful stinging pain from him roughly pulling my hair so hard.

"You may want to take your eyes off of Rob and show me a bit more attention for once." He spat angrily, whispering the words harshly into my ear so that nobody else could hear.

I looked towards the bar to see if anyone else was looking round, but everyone else was too focused on getting everyone drinks.

I sighed heavily but forced a response, knowing I couldn't just let him bully me all the time when I had done nothing wrong.

"I haven't had my eyes on Rob at all and to be quiet honest, I'm trying not to be rude by kissing you all the time as we're with the girls and it would have been rude- ahh!" I couldn't help but gasp in response, though I tried not to be too loud as he twisted my wrist within his grasp and I turned to look at the sofa, trying so hard not to cry as he twisted it painfully.

"Let me spell it out for you," he whispered menacingly in my ear. "You have little choice in the matter, so just do it, or I won't play so nice." He spelled it out for me, before quickly letting my wrist go and just in time too as the guys were coming back over from the bar.

I stared down at my lap, not really knowing where to look now, given how obvious Jamie had made it that he would get even worse unless I kept myself from looking at Rob. I hadn't thought I had been looking at Rob at all which was why I was keeping my eyes downwards, not too sure on where to look now.

"Hey…are you okay, Charlie?"

I looked up from under my eyelashes at Kellan, who was watching me anxiously; obviously able to see something was wrong.

I forced a nod, not wanting to cause a fuss because I knew that too would also get me into trouble with Jamie.

He nodded in response, not looking as though he exactly believed me. I was glad though, that he decided to leave it, rather than try and talk about it further with me.

"Are you having a nice night, babes?" Jamie asked me as sweetly as possible, before quickly putting his arm round me and pulling me to him so that he could kiss me on the cheek whilst he pretended to be all sweet.

I forced a smile and nod, trying to pretend that I was happy with me looking about, even though all he was doing was hurting me even more by pulling me to him by my shoulder.

I looked upwards under my eyelashes carefully whilst Jamie was distracted, turning to look at Rob who was looking away from us, looking as though he wasn't exactly having a great night out either.

I knew how he felt.

In all honesty, I was getting fed up of being here and I just really wanted to go home but I also knew that that wasn't an option either, given how Jamie had wanted to come out with the girls. Mostly to show me off to everyone and pretend that we were happy, even though we obviously really wasn't.

We didn't end up leaving the club until gone one in the morning and I couldn't deny that I was more than delighted to get home and back in my own bed.

We had agreed to go back to ours afterwards and I was really glad that we were as I really wanted to stay at home tonight rather than at Jamie's as I didn't believe tonight was going that well anyway.

As soon as we were through the front door, I headed straight into the kitchen and prepared myself a hot chocolate because I wasn't in the mood to drink anyway and I wanted to go to bed soon.

Jamie followed everyone into the living room, shutting the door behind them as it felt quite cold in the house so they didn't want the cold coming into the living room where we all were.

I stayed there for a moment, sitting down at the kitchen table as I wondered on what to do for the best.

I didn't want to go back into the living room and face Jamie right now as I was too frightened to get on the wrong side of him.

I instantly looked round on hearing the living room door open, praying to god that it wasn't Jamie coming out of the living room as I didn't want to have another bitter argument with him, not when it only lead to me getting hurt again.

I was too much of a coward for that to happen.

I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as I saw Rob heading round the living room door, quickly shutting the door behind him after sharing a joke with someone in the room.

He looked towards me, sat at the kitchen table and his face instantly turned a little worried in response.

I instantly looked back down at the table; despite how much I could have quite easily stared at him all day.

I knew I absolutely wasn't allowed and knowing that Jamie could come outside the living room at any minute and catch us staring at each other frightened more than my desire to stare at Rob all day.

"You didn't look as though you were exactly enjoying yourself tonight." Rob commented from the doorway.

I shook my head in response, keeping my eyes locked onto my hot chocolate in front of me, not too sure what to say to him.

I wanted to be able to talk to him but I was too frightened in case Jamie saw us together and the fact that I might have gotten Rob into the same trouble I facing, frightened me more than anything else in the world.

"Is there something wrong?" Rob asked me anxiously, sounding closer to me now.

My head darted upwards in shock as he headed over to the table.

He took a seat opposite me at the table, watching me closely as I stared worriedly back at him and I could tell that he really was concerned about me and wasn't just asking to make conversation with me.

"Urm…no, I'm fine," I promised, quickly glancing at the living room door to make sure nobody was coming out of there yet.

Luckily, everybody seemed to be busy laughing and joking amongst each other to notice Rob had gone missing and I breathed a sigh of relief and looked back down at my hot chocolate.

"Problems with Jamie?"

I looked back up at Rob in surprise, not expecting him to have noticed anything like that but it seemed that he definitely had.

I shrugged, trying to downplay it the best that I could.

I wasn't sure on where to start but I knew I couldn't tell Rob that Jamie had been turning a little violent as it would only mean getting him involved and that was the last thing that I wanted because I was so frightened at the prospect of Rob getting hurt in the process. I wouldn't have ever wanted that.

"Urm…well, it's just-"

"Well, doesn't this look cosy."

I instantly stood up from the table, stepping away from the table and further away from Rob as soon as I heard Jamie's voice comment from the kitchen doorway.

I kept my head down, not bothering to look and see where Jamie was, because I could already tell he was beside the kitchen door by the sound of his voice.

I could see Rob staring at me closely from underneath my eyelashes but I refused to look up at him properly because I knew that if I did anything suspicious in front of Jamie now, it might end up risking Rob because of Jamie's temper.

As far as I was concerned, I would have much rather Jamie take it out on me rather than Rob or anyone else for that matter.

I saw Rob get up from the table underneath my lashes and I desperately hoped that he would just walk away and leave it as that with Jamie.

"We were just chatting." Rob replied calmly, sounding as though he wasn't frightened by Jamie's attitude whatsoever.

"Yeah, I could see that." Jamie's huffy voice replied sarcastically, and I could tell that he didn't sound at all pleased that I had been caught talking to Rob, of all people.

Rob quickly moved to the doorway and I was relieved that he didn't decide to say anything else to Jamie as the last thing I wanted was to cause any more trouble after tonight. Definitely not with Jamie anyway.

As soon as Rob had headed back into the living room and the door was shut behind him, Jamie walked quietly and I instantly froze in response, wondering where he was going.

As soon as Jamie came into view, I stepped away from him a little bit, desperately hoping that he wouldn't have another go at me.

"We'll talk about this _later_." He insisted firmly and I could tell by his voice that he really did mean that.

I frowned sadly at the floor, feeling frightened about whatever he had to say but I just nodded in response and grabbed my hot chocolate before heading back out into the hallway and back into the living room so that he couldn't say anything else to me.

Luckily, nobody seemed to notice that I was feeling incredibly anxious about having to talk to Jamie later about whatever he wanted to say…or more like do, and I was more than happy when people started to make a move at just past half one as I was definitely up for going to bed after tonight.

I couldn't help but feel a little gutted when Rob left though, despite the fact that I couldn't really talk to him properly and I hadn't been able to spend any proper time with him tonight because of Jamie's jealousy.

As soon as everyone was starting to go, I ran up to my bedroom to start getting ready for bed, hoping that Jamie would just go and wouldn't bother to come upstairs to search for me, though I couldn't help but doubt that.

It seemed that when he wanted something, he normally got it.

And I was proven right as soon as I had gotten into my bedroom, when I heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs and I instantly ran over to the other side of the room, not knowing where else to go, watching him come into my bedroom.

He poked his head round the door and as soon as he saw me, he glared at me furiously in response, shutting the bedroom door quickly behind him.

"Now tell me…why it is that whenever you're somewhere, Rob doesn't seem to be too far away from you?" He asked me curiously, sounding genuinely pissed off about that.

I instantly shivered in response, feeling myself tense up at the thought of him coming any closer to me.

"We were just talking though, really-"

"Yeah, you see the problem is I'm finding that hard to believe given how often you tend to _just_ do that."

I stared down at my hands awkwardly, not too sure on what to say to him in response to what he just said. He was completely wrong, of course but then I knew he wouldn't believe me if I told him that.

I shook my head instead and whispered softly; "You're wrong though Jamie…it's all in your head."

I instantly regretted saying that though as he was beside me before I had the chance to look up at him and I couldn't help but gasp in shock as he grabbed hold of my arms and shook me, forcing me to look up at him.

"You clearly think I'm blind," he enraged, his face just inches from mine as he continued to shout at me and I forced myself not to look away, knowing that would only anger him more. "But I swear to god, if you don't stay away from him from now on, then you will be sorry, I promise you that."

"Fine, fine, then I will!" I promised him desperately, hoping that he would believe me.

But I was terrified when he shook his head in response, telling me that he didn't and I couldn't help but yelp as he held my arms more tightly.

His eyes narrowed in response. "I don't believe you."

I gasped in response, knowing that he was far too angry to reason with right now and knowing that I was in deep trouble now.


	23. Frightened

**Frightened**

I lay as emotionless as possible on the bed, keeping my eyes fixated on the creamy bumps lining the acoustic ceiling of my bedroom, whilst hoping that by not looking at anything in the bedroom in particular as well as staying as still as physically as possible, might help in keeping Jamie calm.

It had been two weeks since Jamie had last done this to me and Rob had tried to keep his distance from me since that night when Jamie had completely lost it and punched me around my waist and chest so that nobody would see the bruises.

I was terrified of him and the minute that Rob had stepped through the door tonight, I knew I was in trouble.

Jamie was still sat on my leather pouf chair at the front of my bed. I could still hear his ragged breaths as he tried to control his temper.

Beneath that though, there was the faint urgent beat of my heart, desperately hoping that that would be the end of it for one night considering how I had stayed away from him for most of the night.

I had done everything in the last couple of weeks that Jamie had wanted me too.

I had desperately tried to maintain as much distance as possible from Rob, despite how difficult that was for me to do.

Every time that he walked into a room, I would walk back out.

I couldn't have possible kept enough space between us, given that he was friends with Tasha and Rachael too and they often invited them to the house because they too liked spending time with Rob.

Of course, he was also friends with Jackson and Kellan too, so they also liked having him around as they didn't exactly get on with Jamie.

I had tried so hard to stay away from him, despite how much I didn't want to.

There was no denying that there was something there between us, even still, and there was still that natural spark between us.

I hadn't said one single word to Rob in order to try and keep Jamie as happy as possible.

I literally couldn't have done anything else and yet, he was still pissed off with me, though why, I wasn't sure.

I don't even know if he was even more.

"Get up," his voice made me jump, due to how quiet it was in the bedroom. His voice was soft but the threat in his voice was still real.

Instantly my heart sped up even more, but not because I was excited or happy or anything like that. It was because I was frightened; worried about what he might do now, because I knew he was capable of anything right now.

My brain desperately tried to work out what he could possibly want from me, but I didn't want to think about that too much.

I took a deep breath and began to sit up on the bed, knowing that if I didn't do what he asked of me then I would only come to regret it even more.

I also knew that if I took my time walking over to him then that too would only fuel his temper even more.

My dress was short as we had had a party at the house so I was careful as I turned round on the bed. My feet touched the floor and as soon as they had, I suddenly wished I had put on a maxi dress, which would be able to cover up how much my legs were shaking from the fear of what might happen.

I forced myself up from my bed completely, trying to walk as gracefully as possible, which was difficult on such badly shaking legs and I hoped desperately that trying to pretend that I wasn't frightened would also help to stop him getting angry with me.

I walked slowly, despite not wanting to annoy him and neared where he was sit and as soon as I had, his aftershave hit me and I fought not to gag in response, given how strong it was.

His back looked tense but his head was lifted a little, enough for me to see the reaction on his face anyway.

His face looked a little strange and I could tell he was angry and I instantly felt even more frightened.

I was in trouble.

I ignored that troubling feeling though and went and stood beside him, keeping my head as low as possible as to not upset him.

I saw him glance sidewise at me in the corner of my eye and I instantly froze myself to the spot, terror gripping me.

"You look beautiful tonight." He insisted sweetly, his voice gentle and loving.

I almost smiled at him then, believing in what he was actually saying. It was nice to be able to finally get a compliment from him for once rather than just a snide mark instead and I began to think that maybe I wasn't in trouble with him after all….but then of course; he had to go and ruin it.

"A little too beautiful…maybe that's why Rob just can't seem to stay away from you."

His threat was suddenly too real, too cryptic and absolutely terrifying.

The worst part of that was knowing that he meant every single word of his threat that he said too.

A shiver ran down my spine in response to what he was saying and I instantly stepped backwards slightly, despite knowing that this would only infuriate him even more.

I knew exactly what was going to happen, because he had done this before now. He had lost his patience once before and that still burned in my memory. I was still recovering from that too and there were still bruises all over my chest, stomach and back but I knew that that would still not stop him.

The minute that he got up from the chair, glaring at me furiously as though I had done something wrong even though I definitely hadn't, I backed away.

I knew the only way I was ever going to get through tonight was just shut down and not think about it, despite how much I just didn't want it to happen.

That what was what I had done the last time and even then, the pain was still absolutely unbearable.

From the look in his eyes, I knew that he wouldn't have been able to stop himself this time either, no matter how much I begged him not to or tried to get him to listen to me. He was past that now, despite how much he was being silly.

I had desperately tried to believe that he could change but as he came towards me, it became obvious that he never would.


	24. Seeing Clearly

**Seeing Clearly**

I couldn't fall asleep easily that night because all I kept thinking about was what Jamie had done to me and what he kept doing to me. He was definitely getting worse and I wasn't sure what to do for the best.

Jamie didn't stay long after losing control and hitting me and I was relieved when he did finally leave me.

Jamie had finished his part of the movie completely so he had decided to go back to England to make a start on his new project which was being filmed back in London and if I was being completely honest, I was so relieved.

I had had a few weeks to myself, away from Jamie and that was exactly what I needed right now as the violence began to escalate.

And as soon as he was gone, I let myself cry myself to sleep, desperate to get out of the situation I was in.

I literally ached everywhere from where he had lashed out a little while before.

He had been a lot worse than he was before and a lot crueller with me too. I literally felt as though if I moved then it would just make me feel so much worse than how much pain I was in now.

I literally laid on my bed, flat out and not wanting to get up at all, even when morning eventually came around, beckoning me to get up.

I could hear the girls getting up and heading downstairs and I knew I couldn't stay in bed all day, because it would look suspicious to the girls if they came home from work tonight and I didn't want to give anything away to them because it wasn't fair getting them involved in all of this mess.

I stayed in bed, keeping as still as possible as I listened to them getting ready to leave for work. I knew I couldn't get up yet because I was in that much pain that I knew I wouldn't have been able to act as though I was okay quite yet, not around them anyway.

I waited until I heard the front door go and waited until I knew they had definitely gone to work before I started to sit up in bed, ignoring the fact that I could hardly breathe as soon as I began to move.

I slowly crept up from the bed, keeping my arms locked tightly around my stomach to try and hold in the pain. I felt so incredibly sore and my legs felt like jelly with every step that I took as I got closer to the bathroom.

By the time I got there, I literally felt like I was going to be sick but I tried taking a breath, ignoring how much it hurt to breathe in.

I got in the shower once I didn't feel as bad but as soon as I turned the hot water on, I cried out in absolute agony as the hot water made contact with my sore, burning skin.

I washed my hair as quickly as possible before jumping out as quickly as possible, which was difficult given how hard I was finding it to breathe without it hurting me.

My skin felt even sorer than before my shower now but I ignored that as I began to dry my skin off.

I looked down at my skin curiously, wanting to see for myself how badly last night had bruised my skin.

I gasped loudly in response, taking in just how badly bruised my body was.

I sobbed desperately in response, wondering if any clothes would even manage to cover up all my bruises.

I literally had a number of bruises from the very top of my chest and right down to the bottom of my stomach.

There were even punch marks on my stomach which you could tell was from where he had hit me. There were also marks all down the top of my legs from where he had kicked me in his temper too, but luckily, I believed it to be manageable to cover up.

I put on a grey jumper with white striped lines covering the whole of my jumper. Luckily, it was a neck jumper, so it covered up my skin and it had three quarter sleeves, covering all of my bruises completely.

I had paired the jumper with a beige-coloured skirt which was short and lined and luckily enough managed to hide all of my scars on my legs too.

I walked slowly back into my bedroom, making my bed slowly as I tried to catch my breath still, knowing that it was probably just because of how badly bruised my chest was more than anything else.

Nevertheless, I made my way downstairs slowly, hoping desperately that I would be able to breathe better by the time the girls got back tonight.

I made my way into the hallway, keeping my head down as I pressed my arms further around my waist, trying hard to fight against the agony of all these bruises.

I gasped aloud after having looked up, my eyes widening instantly in response as soon as I looked up and straight into the kitchen.

There, sat at the kitchen table was Rob, with his back turned towards me. I could tell it was him from his strong, muscular looking back and the back of his messy hair.

As soon as I had made a noise though, Rob looked round from where he was sat at the table and his eyes instantly widened in response.

He looked so adorable, like he was caught in headlights and didn't know what to say or do for the best.

His hair looked wild and it was only as I looked towards the kitchen table that I knew why. He had been wearing his hat which explained why his strands of hair were styled here, there and everywhere.

He had on a white tee shirt with a band's name on them that I didn't recognised, paired off with a pair of dark jeans and black shoes.

I could tell that he obviously didn't expect me to be here because he was staring at me in shock as though he hadn't expected to see me.

He got up from the kitchen table hesitantly, stepping off from the kitchen chair and running his hand through the top of his hair as I stood in the doorway, not too sure on what to do for the best.

This was the first time I had been this close to Rob for a good few weeks and now I didn't know what to say at all.

"Err…sorry, I didn't realise you were here," he stuttered nervously, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.

My arms tightened even further around my waist, desperately hoping that he wouldn't notice how awkwardly I was stood, because I was desperate not to give away how much pain I was in right now.

I nodded, clearing my throat awkwardly.

"That's okay," I promised, before looking down at the floor as I tried to work out what else I could say to him after all this time.

"I erm…I came here because there were loads of paparazzi gathered outside the house. They found out about the film and I…well, wanted somewhere to go to learn my lines." He confessed sheepishly.

I nodded again, keeping my eyes away from him.

"I can…I can go though if that-"

"No," I said quickly, looking up at him a little too fast.

He smiled sheepishly in response, looking glad that I had disagreed with him not to let him go. I knew it wouldn't be right to let him leave when he had nowhere else to go to learn his lines and I didn't mind him staying here, not really.

Not when Jamie wasn't around anyway.

"No, it's absolutely fine." I insisted, heading into the kitchen slowly and gritting my teeth together underneath my lips as I fought against the pain so that he wouldn't see how much pain I was in.

"Are you sure?" He asked when he was behind me and I nodded again.

"Yeah, of course, make yourself at home." I replied, sounding a little breathless now that I had walked from the door and over to the kettle to boil it.

I heard him take a seat at the table now that I had insisted that I was okay with him staying around the house.

"Hey…are you okay?" He asked me anxiously, obviously hearing for himself that I was out of breath just from walking a little distance.

I nodded, not turning around to look at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I insisted, hoping desperately that he would believe me and just drop it, rather than ask me again.

He gave in and I was relieved about that as I sat opposite him at the kitchen table, eating just a strawberry yogurt for breakfast and having a cup of tea with it. Rob had insisted that he didn't want a drink as he continued reading through his lines at the table.

I didn't want to eat anything too heavy with him truthfully because I felt embarrassed enough eating in front of him.

I got up from the table, making my way over to the sink and putting my cup and spoon in the bowl, just as I got a shooting pain up the front of me.

I gasped far too loudly and gripped the table top in front of me as I caught my breath, feeling as though I might have actually fainted.

"Charlie?" I just about managed to hear Rob's anxious voice call from the table and I quickly stood up, ignoring the sheer agony as I did because I didn't want him knowing that I was in pain as it would have been too obvious what had happened.

"I'm fine," I insisted, looking round at him as he stood up from the table, looking uncertain about what to do.

I forced a smile, trying to pretend that I was okay.

"I just got a shooting pain but I'm fine now." I said again, before starting to quickly make my way out of the kitchen before I could slip up in front of Rob again and make him worry about me even more.

Just as I'd got to the door though, that same pain shot up through my stomach and my chest again and I almost fell to the floor because of just how painful this agony was.

I was about to run out the room, desperate to get away from Rob before he saw, but it was too late.

He came to stand in front of me so that I couldn't escape from the kitchen, forcing me to look up at him.

"You're obviously not okay." He insisted, frowning worriedly at me.

His eyebrows were pulled together as he reached out hesitantly, putting both hands on my upper arms softly.

Even through my jumper, I could feel the heat of his fingers against my jumper and I sighed softly in response before I could stop myself, just relieved that Jamie wasn't around to witness this.

I wrapped my arms around my waist self-consciously which didn't go unnoticed by Rob unfortunately.

He stared at me confused, worry sill creasing up his features.

"Have you…hurt yourself?" He asked me with concern.

I instantly shook my head in response, suddenly desperate to get him to believe me because I was slipping up more and more.

"No, I'm fine, I'm really just a little sore. Maybe…if I take a nap, I might feel a little better again in a bit."

He nodded in response, looking disbelieving as he let go of my arms and I was more than relieved that he had.

He stepped out of the way, preparing himself to let me go and I stepped myself around Rob easily but just as I was about to exit the kitchen, I almost fell into Rob accidently as I slipped and his arm caught the edge of my stomach as he tried reaching for my arm to help me before I slipped over.

I cried out in pain, desperately cowering away from him and placing my arms back around my waist.

"Right that's it, sit down at the table and tell me what's wrong. Obviously you're in too much pain to go anywhere." He told me gravely and I could tell by his tone of voice that he wasn't going to let me go anywhere until I did what he said.

I sighed heavily in response, feeling shamelessly guilty for not being able to disguise that I was in pain for just a few seconds longer and sat on the chair next to where he had been sitting, to the right of him.

I closed my eyes tight as I held onto my stomach as I sat down carefully, feeling in complete agony.

"Jesus…you're not pregnant, are you?" Rob asked me in shock as he took a seat next to me, obviously seeing that I kept holding in my stomach with my hand as though I was obviously pregnant.

I stared at him in shock, feeling my eyes widen automatically to see that he was watching me seriously, meaning he was obviously dead serious about his question.

"God, no!" I confirmed aloud, a little repulsed by the idea actually.

The thought of ever having kids with Jamie made me feel physically sick. How could I ever trust him with a child when he continuously kept doing this to me?

He nodded in response, looking somewhat relieved to hear me say that and I couldn't help but smile.

"So what's the problem then?" He asked me anxiously, turning all serious again as he watched me closely as though I might have slipped up easily with him watching me so closely.

To be fair, he had the right idea.

I did feel quite unnerved with his bright green eyes, watching me closely as he waited for my response.

I stared down at my hands, chewing nervously on my bottom lip as I explained exactly what the problem was.

"I just erm…I fell out of bed and straight onto the floor last night…and obviously, my floor is hard because its wooden tiles and so erm…I've got quite a few bruises…on my front." I confessed sheepishly.

I peeked up at him from underneath my eyelashes to see his reaction.

He was watching me closely and when he caught me looking, he nodded simply in response, though I couldn't help but notice he looked a little disbelieving about that.

"Right, okay…well, if it's hurting that bad, you might need an ice pack, given how much you're struggling to breathe." He admitted.

I nodded in response, just taking his opinion on board without even thinking about correcting him.

He paused for a long moment, watching me carefully.

"Urm…did you mind if I take a look? I know I'm hardly an expert but I have a feeling that you wouldn't want to go to a doctor or anything like that." He guessed correctly, smiling shyly at me.

I forced a nod, knowing that he would have to look and knowing that I had very little choice. The last thing I wanted to do was go to a doctor's, not given how suspicious my bruises would look.

I turned away from him a little bit, feeling really apprehensive. Not just about showing him the bruises but because I would have to pull my jumper a little bit so that I could press something cold to it to stop the swelling.

I lifted my jumper so that it was covered to just under my bra and as soon as my stomach was on show, I peered up at Rob from underneath my eyelashes to take in his reaction.

His eyes were slightly wide as he took in the severe bruises, looking completely shocked with just how bad they were.

I almost flinched as he reached out slowly, addressing some of the bruises with his hand carefully.

His skin on mine felt so good and so soothing too, because of just how gentle his hand was against the painful bruises.

I could tell he realised where I had gotten the bruises from because his eyes darkened and he frowned sadly in response as he let his hand turn into a fist on one of the bruises so that his hand matched the shape of the bruise.

He shook his head in response, quickly getting up from the chair and dropping his hands from my skin quickly and I couldn't help but sigh heavily in response.

He moved to the freezer, pulling out an ice pack and wrapping it in a tea towel so that it wasn't too cold against my skin.

"Hopefully this should help the swelling and sooth the pain too." I heard him say from behind me.

I was about to reply to that, to say thank you to him for doing this for me when I heard a loud smash of a bag from behind me.

I quickly looked round at the table, ignoring the pain that followed that and looked straight at Rob who was watching me in shock. The bag had fallen from his hands and was on the floor but as soon as he saw me staring at him, he quickly picked it back up and moved to sit back down at the table.

"Jamie did this to you, didn't he?" Rob finally accused me, passing me the ice pack wrapped in the tea towel for me to hold to my chest.

I did it instantly and shook my head quickly, desperate to get him to believe me as I didn't want him to get involved in this.

Rob rolled his eyes, obviously not believing that at all.

"I've seen your back, Charlie. There are bruises all over your skin and I can tell that you didn't just fall over or whatever."

I shook my head again though. "No, he didn't, I just…well, when I fell off the bed, I rolled from my back to my front-"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" He interrupted me quickly, huffing at me in response to my terrible lie.

I frowned in response, staring down at my hands awkwardly as I chewed nervously on my bottom lip.

I hadn't wanted this to happen, I hadn't wanted Rob to get involved in all of this crap. It wasn't fair on him, because it was bad enough me having to deal with it and deal with Jamie and his jealousy.

I hadn't wanted to get him caught up in this mess.

"I know you're frightened Charlie, but you don't have to be anymore. Do you seriously think that the girls would ever let him back into this house ever again if he's actually been doing this to you?"

I shook my head in response, knowing he was right about that.

If I was honest and told everyone, then there was no way that they would let him near me again but that wasn't what I wanted. I hadn't wanted to get everyone involved like this because I was so frightened that Jamie might have lashed out at them as well as me.

Rob surprised me then, taking hold of my free hand which wasn't wrapped around the tea towel, holding it to my chest.

I looked up in shock as he entwined our fingers together, ignoring the warm sensation running through me at having his skin against mine, his fingers entwined with mine.

It felt so _right_ somehow and I couldn't help but sigh happily in response because whenever he touched me, I couldn't help but feel safe.

His eyes were searching mine, gentle and kind.

"Did Jamie do this to you?" He asked me again desperately, his eyes searching my face as he asked me.

I couldn't help but want to be honest with him, even though I knew that it meant getting him involved in this, which I hadn't wanted to do. I could see he was desperate to know though, to help me, because that was the sort of person he was and I couldn't seem to be able to find the energy to want to shut him out again, like how I knew I should.

I finally nodded slowly in response, watching him closely as he took that in.

He frowned sadly, looking guilty for some reason and he sighed heavily as his arms wound themselves around me, pulling me to him.

I went reluctantly, desperately trying to work out why he was hugging me for and why he had looked so guilty.

Not that I cared though.

As soon as I was in his arms, I pressed my free arm around him and dipped my head into his left shoulder, revelling in his amazing scent and losing myself in his goodness.

I couldn't help but wonder to myself, why him holding me like this just felt so…_right_. It felt as though it wasn't wrong at all, not with his arms wrapped protectively around me, his body close to mine…

It was so easy to get caught up in everything that belonged to Rob because he was such a nice, genuine person.

He was a good person, a caring person and he proved that by saying what he said next.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." He insisted quietly, making me confused.

I didn't understand what he had to be sorry about given that he had done nothing wrong. If anything, I should have been the one to say sorry to him.

I had messed everything up.

I had been so stupid in dumping him and not only that, but I had let him leave even when he made me so happy.

I was also the one who had been ignoring him, pushing him away from me, because I was so frightened that if I didn't then Jamie would end up hurting him too.

No, it was definitely me who should have been sorry.

"I don't understand…" I confessed, forcing myself to pull away from him, despite how much I had wanted to stay in his embrace forever more.

He watched me carefully, a frown on his face.

"Well…Kellan had mentioned before that he thought you were being controlled by Jamie. When I came out that night with you, I could tell you weren't happy and I could see how much control he had over you but I kept silent. I thought it was strange but I didn't think it was any of my business to say anything."

I shook my head instantly in response, desperate to correct him because none of this was his fault.

"Yeah, but you were right not to say anything…it wasn't really your place. It was my relationship, after all and you definitely can't tell someone not to be with someone or to tell them that they were being controlled when they couldn't see it themselves." I insisted, knowing that I was exactly right.

I remembered just how cut up Rob was about Kristen still when we had first met and knew that if anyone had told him to get over it or whatever, he probably wouldn't have listened to them either because like it or not, he probably wouldn't have listened to them.

He nodded in response, agreeing with that.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right…" he forced himself to agree, sighing heavily. "But still, I mean…how could he do that to you? I don't understand how anybody could hurt someone like that."

I shrugged in response, knowing that I couldn't offer an explanation with him, not when he wasn't here to defend himself.

All I knew was that Jamie could be sweet sometimes and then change completely into someone else and into somebody that I didn't recognise at all and it frightened the hell out of me every time that he did.

I stayed with Rob in the kitchen for most of the day because the truth was; I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible over the next few weeks.

He made me feel safe whenever I was with him and after everything that had happened the last few weeks, I wanted that feeling back again.

I took the icepack off as soon as I could, before pulling down my jumper quickly again, feeling really self-conscious in front of Rob, especially with all of my bruises.

I sat at the table, watching him as he learned his lines and I couldn't help but smile as he did because he looked as though he was really concentrating. He looked so cute too, with his hand shoved into the top of his hair, gripping the strands of hair tightly and his jaw tense as he ran through his lines.

As soon as he caught me staring at him, a smile broke out on his face, instantly making him look younger.

"What?" He asked me curiously, meaning about why he was staring at me for. He sounded so self-conscious, despite the fact that he had absolutely no reason to be at all.

He was impossibly gorgeous without even trying and I couldn't help but smile back a little in response, before pursing my lips together to try and hold it back.

"Nothing…well, you just looked as though you were really concentrating on your lines that's all. That's the only reason why I was staring." I confessed sheepishly.

He smiled in response, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah…I guess I don't even realise I'm doing it sometimes."

"It wasn't a bad thing," I quickly insisted, before he could feel all embarrassed about it. "I think…well, I think that it's cute actually." I confessed very sheepishly.

I flushed a deep pink and I could feel my face turn bright red in response to admitting that, but I couldn't help but smile back, when he grinned in response, clearly pleased to hear me say that to him.

"Well as long as you think that then, I definitely don't mind." He replied happily, before winking cheekily at me.

I felt myself instantly flush in response to what he had just said to me and I chewed on my bottom lip as my heartbeat sped up a little.

I couldn't get over how shocked I felt to know he was actually flirting with me!

I could tell that he definitely was, by the way he was smirking at me and the way he had winked at me too.

He really was so naughty and my god…I hadn't been expecting him to wink at me like that either!

He definitely did have an effect on me that I just couldn't seem to explain.

I was so relieved when Tasha and Rachael walked through the front door then, obviously just getting back from work as I didn't quite know what to say in response to what Rob had just said to me.

I just hadn't been expecting him to say it at all, at least not to me anyway.

Rachael and Tasha smiled at me as they headed into the living room, seeing that I was sat with Rob at the kitchen table.

"I hope you don't mind sweetie, I agreed to let Rob stay here today so he had somewhere to rehearse his lines. I didn't think you would be here today." Rachael apologised to me as she headed into the kitchen.

I shook my head instantly.

"No, don't be silly, it's fine," I insisted with a smile. "It's been nice, spending some more time with him anyway."

I smiled sheepishly at Rob as I said that and he smiled back in response, looking as though he agreed with me about that.

"Hmm…I bet it has." Rachael commented sarcastically.

I looked up in time to see her raising one eyebrow in response to how I had worded that, making me roll my eyes in response.

She had to make everything sound just a little bit dirty and I hadn't even meant like that at all. I had literally just meant because I hadn't been able to spend a lot of time with Rob lately, so it was nice to get talking to him again, given how difficult Jamie had made it being friends with Rob.

"You should be being nice to Charlie anyway Rachael." Tasha warned her as she headed into the kitchen room too, looking more shattered than Rachael did after working all day.

I shot her a confused look.

"Why; is she ill?" I teased.

Rob laughed from beside me, instantly making me laugh too. Tasha laughed but quickly stopped when Rachael turned and glared at her.

"No actually," Rachael spat harshly, before she took a deep breath and smiled sweetly at me, obviously trying her hardest not to get angry or anything.

"I have a date…with Jackson on Friday night."

As soon as she said the words out loud, I practically jumped from where I was sat. I tried to be careful as I jumped into her arms, hugging her to me and making her squeal in shock too.

I giggled helplessly as I backed away to look at her properly.

"That's great news, Rach! I'm so, _so_ happy for you! But…I don't understand…why does that mean you have to be nice to me for?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Because I was wondering if you would be a complete babe and give me a makeover."

I raised my eyebrows. "Ah, now it makes sense."

"Please, please, please, please, _please_!" She begged desperately, almost falling onto her knees and making me laugh in response.

"Yes, of course I will; god Rach!" I joked, laughing along with Tasha.

"Yay, thank you!" She announced happily, before she flung her arms around me before I could stop her.

I yelped in pain as she did, instantly stepping away from her and grasping my waist as pain flashed through me.

"Is it your bruises again?" Rob asked me anxiously, instantly getting up from the table and coming towards me.

He was watching me closely, a worried look on his face.

I would have normally smiled and insisted that I was fine but as soon as he has asked about my bruises, Rachael and Tasha instantly looked suspicious and I knew that he had completely put his foot in it.

The only thing I could think about at that point was how I was going to explain to the girls about what had happened. I was hoping it wouldn't have had to come to this as I felt bad enough getting Rob involved, let alone get the girls involved in this mess.

I knew it must have looked suspicious given just how much pain I was in.

"What bruises?" Rachael was the first to ask, of course.

I sighed heavily in response, turning back to look at Rob who was watching me closely, his forehead a little creased.

"Maybe you should just tell them-"

"That's easy for you to say." I snapped before I could stop myself.

I wasn't angry with him, not really, because he hadn't done anything wrong, but I was just angry that it was obvious to me that I would have to tell the girls about what had been happening when really I had been desperate to keep them out of this, because this had been my problem to sort.

He shrugged, not looking too bothered by my outburst.

"It's up to you Charlie; it's none of my business what you do." He spelled it out for me and I couldn't help but pout a little bit in response because I didn't see it like that at all and neither did I want it to be like that between us in all honesty.

"But I personally think you should tell them." Rob continued, not seeming to notice my disappointment in how he had said that. "They will be there for you through this, no matter _what_ happens." He promised me, knowing that I was frightened about what Jamie might do when he got back, to me or anyone else.

I forced a nod in response, knowing he was right.

Despite how frightened I was, they would be there for me and no matter what Jamie did when he got back, I was certain that the girls wouldn't let him come near me again if he threatened me which meant that he wouldn't hurt me again.

Knowing that made me finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Rob was right; I didn't have to be frightened of him anymore.

"Okay, I'll tell them."

"Do you want me to go-?"

"No!" I quickly interrupted him before he could say anything more and I instantly chewed nervously on my bottom lip as I realised that I sounded far too keen for him to stay. "Urm…no, please, you're welcome to stay." I insisted.

He smiled sheepishly in response and nodded.

"Okay, well I'll take my script and learn my lines in the back. You don't need me in the way whilst you talk to Rachael and Tasha." He insisted kindly, instantly grabbing his stuff together before I could stop him.

"Thank you Rob…I appreciate that, really I do." I insisted, with a smile.

He didn't know just how much I appreciated that either. I was just glad that I didn't have to lie to Rob anymore about Jamie or him hitting me or anything like that because that was the part I hated the most as all it meant was that I couldn't really spend any time with him at all, because it would have just happen again and again.

He just smiled in response and headed outside so that I could talk to the girls properly on my own.

As soon as I had turned back to them, I couldn't help but giggle in response.

They all looked completely confused about what the hell was going on and I knew despite how much I didn't want to tell them about what had been happening, they had the right to know as they were my friends and I knew they just wanted to protect me.

I didn't exactly know where to begin to explain though so I just told them honestly what had been happening, telling them straight out that I didn't want sympathy for what had happened. That was the last thing I wanted.

After all, I was the one who brought it on myself really by choosing to stay with him, despite how violent he was becoming towards me.

I knew I had been completely stupid but I was already starting to reflect on our relationship and realised that I didn't want to be with him anymore, not when he treated me the way he did.

He treated me with a complete lack of respect and if I decided to stay with him any longer then it would just show that I obviously didn't have much respect for myself either.

I didn't even care that I had to do the promotion for the film with him because the good thing was that Rob was going to be there too, so it meant that I didn't have to face it alone.

I wasn't saying that I wanted Rob to constantly stick up for me with Jamie or whatever because I was an adult and I knew that I should have been able to look after for myself, but it didn't make me as frightened because I knew that we wouldn't ever have to be alone together.

The girls were comforting of course but were also really shocked and didn't exactly know what to say to what I had confessed.

"I knew it!" Rachael exclaimed as soon as I had finished the story, making me and Tasha turn and look at her confused, wondering how the hell she would have known.

"Rach, how the hell could you have _known_?" Tasha huffed.

"Well okay, I didn't know." Rachael confessed, shrugging in response. "But I always had a feeling about him. I always thought he was weird; it was the way he looked at you. I could definitely tell he was controlling." She insisted.

She probably had a point about that though really because she was right about him controlling me.

I didn't feel as though I could do anything in the end and the thought of angering Jamie frightened me more than anything else in the world.

"Yeah well…" I replied awkwardly, not too sure on what else to say in response.

"What are you going to do now?" Tasha asked me curiously, looking anxious as she asked me that.

I shrugged uncertainly, because the truth was, I really didn't know what to do for the best.

"Well surely you're not going to just take him back when he comes back from England. Not after all that he's done to you." Rachael huffed sourly, watching me equally as closely as Tasha was.

I shrugged again, making Rachael gasp in shock.

"Look, I know it's over between us…" I insisted quickly, before she could interrupt me and tell me how stupid I was being.

Rachael nodded in response, looking relieved to hear that.

"Good…and there should be no _buts_ at the end of that sentence either." Rachael insisted firmly.

I frowned in response, making her roll her eyes.

"Look, I'm not being funny," Rachael huffed sourly. "But why on earth would you ever want to go back to that dickhead anyway, when he abuses you constantly when you could have that lovely guy sat outside our house instead."

I pulled a face in response, watching her confused.

"What are you on about?"

"Rob, of course!" She exclaimed, sighing heavily as though it should have been obvious to me who she was talking about.

I rolled my eyes, because right from the beginning, she had been positive that me and Rob were made for each other and all of this crap.

It seemed obvious to me that I had absolutely no chance with Rob anymore, not after everything that had happened between us.

"Oh please, not this again." I groaned in despair. "Look, I've managed to get past the fact that Rob doesn't want me anymore. We're just friends and I guess…well, I guess I've learned to except that."

Rachael groaned, slapping her hands to her face for a moment and making Tasha laugh in response.

"Honestly Rach, that was a bit of an over-reaction!" Tasha giggled.

"Yeah, but she is so blind, it's actually ridiculous!" Rachael replied in aggravation before she turned back to look at me again, narrowing her eyes as she did.

"Darling, anybody with half a brain can see by the way that Rob looks at you that he is absolutely crazy about you…oh…shit."

I stared at her confused as her eyes widened in response and she quickly trailed off as she stared round at the back door of the kitchen in shock.

Tasha looked towards the back door of the kitchen before quickly looking back down again and pursing her lips together, fighting a smile in response.

That was when I realised why they were both as shocked as they were…_shit_ indeed.

I looked towards the back door of the kitchen, turning hesitantly in my chair to see what they were both staring at.

Rob was standing in the doorway of the back door, his script bunged under his right elbow. He was staring at the floor and he looked as though he didn't have a clue on where in the room to look. His forehead was creased in embarrassment and he ran his free hand through the top of his hair.

"Urm…sorry," he apologised awkwardly, his voice awkward and tense. "I should have erm…knocked."

I stared at him in shock, noticing just how embarrassed he looked at overhearing Rachael say what she had.

It was obvious to me by the way that he wasn't sure on where to look or even what to say that Rachael was obviously wrong about what she had said just a moment before. I knew she had been anyway but Rob's reaction to what he had overhead her say only proved that fact even more.

"Urm…I'm gonna head home now, but…thank you for letting me use your house for the day." He announced, finally looking upwards to see what Tasha and Rachael would say.

He didn't look at me at all which only made me frown in disappointment, despite having known that I hadn't had a chance with him.

"That's okay." I heard Rachael say from behind me. "You're free to come here whenever you want because I understand that you like to get away sometimes." She insisted.

I watched him as he nodded, forcing a smile at Rachael.

"Okay thank you, I really appreciate that." He insisted, looking as though he was quite a bit calmer than before now. "I'll probably see you guys at the weekend then."

He quickly headed for the kitchen door then, still keeping his eyes away from me the whole time that he did.

I watched him leave, feeling disappointed about the fact that he hadn't even bothered to look at me once. I knew I shouldn't have felt disappointed given the circumstances. I didn't even blame him if he didn't trust me anymore because I hadn't exactly proven that I could be trusted and I knew I had hurt him when I had broken up with him.

I sighed heavily as he quickly headed out of the front door of the house, keeping his head down and running his hand through the top of his hair quite a few times.

"What did I tell you Rachael?" I snapped as soon as he was gone from the house, resting my head on my hand lazily and frowning miserably at the girls.

"I really don't think that reaction was because he didn't like what he heard me say to be honest, Charlie." Rachael insisted adamantly.

Tasha nodded, agreeing with what Rachael had said.

"No for once, I actually agree with Rachael." Tasha confessed, making Rachael grin in response. "You've got to remember Charlie; you were the one who dumped Rob, not the other way round. We kept telling you before he left that he really liked you but you wouldn't believe anyone. If he's a little hesitant when it comes to trusting you again or the possibility of you two getting back together, you can't blame him for being a little resistant."

I nodded in response, knowing Tasha was right.

Rachael nodded too, jumping back straight into the conversation.

"Yeah exactly, he probably doesn't want to get hurt again. I mean, let's face it, Kristen cheated on him twice and then you dump him within a few weeks of your relationship. He's probably finding it really hard to trust you again."

I nodded again, telling them that I agreed to what both of them were saying.

"Yeah, I know, I think you're right…but what do I do now though?" I asked confused, because I honestly didn't have a clue about what to do for the best.

Rachael shrugged.

"Well, just try and spend more time with him now. You have kind of been avoiding him lately because you've been under Jamie's control…just start proving to him that it's him that you want to be with and start getting his trust back too. And then as soon as Jamie gets his arse back here, dump the loser and then you can finally be with Rob again." She declared happily, grinning at me in response.

I nodded in response, knowing that she was the one who would know best. She seemed to have the right idea when it came to relationships. Besides Blaine having cheated on her at the end of their relationship, she had kept him sweet for over five years.

And now it seemed that she was even making Jackson sweet for her.

So as far as I was concerned, I would definitely take Rachael's advice without any sort of snide comment, because Rob definitely meant even more to me now than before he had gone back to London now.


	25. Too Far

**Too Far**

My time in Los Angeles seemed to be flying past far too quickly and I realised that it wasn't going to be very long until I was due back in England to start the second year of my course again.

Filming was going very well and we were almost finished but there was still one very important scene that me and Rob needed to complete before we were completely finished.

It was the scene where Anastasia and Joseph were in the hotel room, shortly after they had both managed to escape Michael and had run away together. They both realised that they weren't going to be able to escape him forever and they wanted to appreciate as much time together as they possibly could. So whilst they were alone in the hotel room, they ended up making love and on reading the script, there was no denying that the scene between them was quite…well, intimate.

It was the scene that I wasn't particularly looking forward to, given the effect that Rob had on me anyway.

I wasn't stupid, I knew it wasn't exactly going to be hard to pretend to desire Rob's character, especially not when he whilst he was kissing me…

Luckily, I had a few days to prepare myself and even when the day came around to filming it, it really wasn't that bad.

It took the whole of the day to film the scene and we had to film certain sequences of the scene a multiple of times to get it right.

It also wasn't too bad as we were covered throughout most of it so it wasn't as though we had to get fully naked or anything like that.

But there was no denying how impressed I was as soon as Rob had to take his shirt off, because we had to film a scene where he was on top of me but you didn't see anything.

He was a lot more muscular now that he was a couple of months ago but I had already sensed that from how strong his arms looked and how muscular his body looked from underneath his shirt.

I would have been lying if I had said that I never checked him out. I checked him out all the time.

Strong muscles outlined his chest and abdomen, and there were rippling muscular lines which covered the whole of his body and downwards, right down to the top of his trousers that he was wearing.

As I raked his body in, I allowed my eyes to search lower, taking in his amazing body.

I took in every single muscular plane that swept across his smooth-looking body and I shivered in delight as I noticed the thin trail of dark hair which slipped down into the top of his trousers…

God, he was even more gorgeous than when he was in the twilight movies, though I was glad to see that he hadn't gone too far with working out as I really didn't believe that if he was like Kellan and spent every single moment that he was free to work out, because it wouldn't have suited him.

I just found it good that he obviously took a bit more of pride in his appearance now as he was obviously more confident about the way he looked than before. I was obviously completely right when I had said that he was even more attractive than a Greek god too as even his body was even hotter.

Things seemed to be going better between us too which I was glad about as I really did enjoy spending time with him as much as possible.

He had been coming round the house a lot more now that Jamie wasn't around to make everyone feel uncomfortable and I was glad that he had, as it meant that I could spend more time with him at the house after we had wrapped up filming.

Everybody seemed a lot more relaxed with each other and it was really nice to see.

Two weeks after Jamie had left America, Rachael decided that she wanted to invite the girls round for a party, though it was more like a movie night with a few drinks, but she loved having parties round the house so we just agreed with her.

I assumed, given that it was nothing too major and she wasn't inviting anyone else round the house that I could lounge about in comfortable clothes, but Rachael had a completely different idea, of course.

She insisted that I should dress up for Rob despite the fact that it wasn't even like that between us.

Of course Rachael always won everything though, so I forced myself to agree, knowing she loved making over me and Tasha.

She didn't put me in anything too bad thankfully.

She chose a golden dress with a black belt, pairing it with a pair of black tights, black leather jacket with lace, thin arms and some ankle, leather boots, with a chunky heel.

We were going to head outside in the back garden to sit down there and relax, so I put a black beanie hat on and headed downstairs, knowing everyone was already in the back garden waiting for me.

I didn't put any make-up on as I didn't see the point in going too over-board.

I couldn't help but laugh as soon as I headed out into the back garden where everyone was sat, on the benches beside the back door.

As soon as my eyes fell on Rob, my heartbeat instantly quickened in response and my stomach turned nervously as soon as I set my eyes on him.

His hair was covered by a black beanie which had been pulled over so that it fit his head perfectly. On the right side of it, it had a _New York_ logo.

He was wearing a light grey shirt, with short, cut-off sleeves, showing off his lean arms. The shirt was tight around him, showing off his muscular body underneath. He was wearing fitted jeans and black trainers and as soon as he looked round at me, he laughed too.

His chuckle made me shiver a little in response, due to how happy and sweet the sound sounded too.

I doubted I would have ever been able to get enough off Rob even if I tried.

"We match," he joked playfully, his mouth turning up into a smirk as soon as he had commented on the fact that we both had our black beanies on tonight.

I giggled easily in response, coming outside of the house to sit down next to him on the bench he was sat on, putting my legs up from beside me.

"It's sweet that you obviously felt the need to copy my style. I know I'm just too cool." I teased jokingly, smirking back at him as I turned to look at him.

He chuckled in response, shaking his head in disagreement. "Yeah, that's why I'm wearing my beanie today, because I knew you were going to be wearing it and I just _had_ to copy you." He replied sarcastically.

I caught that chance.

"See, I knew it!" I teased, making him laugh again.

I turned back to look at everyone else as I went to grab a beer bottle from the table to see that Rachael was watching us closely, her eyebrows raised in response.

I shot her a confused look. "What's up with you?"

"Well somebody's being very flirty today…the both of you are actually." She quickly insisted, making me roll my eyes.

"God Rach, you're obsessed!" I complained sourly, before quickly making a joke to make it less awkward.

After all, I knew this probably wouldn't be the exact conversation that Rob would want to talk about right now.

"Just because you're love life is perfect now that you have Jackson all to yourself." I teased, throwing a grin at Jackson to let him know that I was only joking.

He smiled back in response, not seeming too bothered.

"Hmm, I know and for once, I'm even being a good girl too. You would be very proud of me Charlie." She insisted, grinning at me.

I raised an eyebrow, curious now. "And why is that then?"

"Because we've only got to second base...well, so far anyway. Normally, I've pretty much done the whole lot already." She confessed without a care in the world.

I groaned in annoyance because I really didn't want to know about Rachael's sex life. It was embarrassing as it was, let alone hearing her proudly blurt it out to every single person.

"Rachael, for god sake! You really do know that doesn't sound too good when you put it like that?" Tasha warned her in shock.

Rachael shrugged, still not looking bothered at all.

"Look, I'm young and I haven't got anything to hold me back. So why should I be embarrassed for enjoying myself?"

"That's very nice Rachael but can we change the subject now _please_?" I begged her desperately, not wanting to talk about her sex life for a second longer.

Rachael rolled my eyes in response but nodded anyway and I instantly breathed a sigh of relief in response…until she spoke.

"Yes, of course…I understand it's probably difficult for Charlie, given how much you probably think about doing all these things to Rob-"

"Right thank Rachael!" I quickly interrupted her, forcing an awkward laugh out of my mouth to make it look as though I was comfortable with her assumption.

I jumped up from my seat, feeling my face burn brightly with a hot red as soon as I had gotten up.

I didn't want Rob to see me blushing like a complete loony because the truth of it was, Rachael was completely right.

I did want Rob and every minute that I spent with him, there was no doubting that I wanted to be able to kiss him, to run my hands through his hair and be able to touch that glorious body of his too…

I groaned embarrassedly, heading into the living room and quickly shutting the door behind me as I went and sat in the middle of the sofa whilst I collected my thoughts.

I flung my beanie hat on the table in front of me, holding the sides of my face in between my hands as I tried hard to control the thoughts within my head in response to Rachael giving me all the wrong ideas.

My face was getting cooler now, meaning that my blush of embarrassment was finally starting to go now.

And I was just starting to feel a little better when I heard the door of the living room started to open from behind me.

I sighed heavily in response, convinced that it was Rachael coming to see me.

"What do you want now, Rachael?" I asked her in frustration, getting up from the sofa and forcing myself to look around at the door of the living room.

I gasped in response, my stomach tightening to an unbearable amount as I noted Rob stood in the doorway of the living room.

His eyes were fixated on me, looking uncertain about coming in or not as he remained standing in the doorway.

His hair was free from his beanie now too, his strands of hair flying here there and everywhere from where his hat had been on a few minutes before.

"Rachael wanted to come and apologise but…I had a feeling you might not want to talk to her yet." He confessed softly.

As soon as he spoke, my legs felt like jelly and I instantly sat back down on the sofa, almost collapsing back onto it as my legs gave way from underneath me.

God, he always had such a reaction on me.

I cleared my throat, quickly forcing my eyes away from his, knowing that if I wasn't looking at him then I would have felt a little braver.

"Urm…thanks." I stuttered nervously, feeling completely stupid, given that I had been fine to banter with him when we were both outside.

But as soon as talk turned to how much I wanted Rob, things instantly got awkward for me like it always did…

I heard the living room shut and then the sound of Rob moving from the door too, telling me that he was still here.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the way my mind raced excitedly at the thought of being alone with Rob in the living room, with everybody still obviously obliviously waiting outside.

As soon as I felt the sofa move underneath Rob's weight, my stomach instantly turned upside in response, desire sweeping through me in response to knowing he was sat close to me.

I moved away from him a little just as his heady aftershave got to me and despite knowing I shouldn't, I breathed it in as though it was the oxygen I needed.

I turned slightly, so that I was able to stare at Rob who was sat beside me on the sofa, watching me closely, with a sweet smile on his face.

"I guess…Rachael takes it too far with you sometimes." He realised, looking as awkward as how I felt about it just being the two of us.

It was a good sort of awkward though, if that made any sense at all.

"I think she takes it too far with everyone." I agreed with him easily, forcing a shy smile back at him.

He nodded, looking down at the floor as he thought about something or other.

I could tell he was thinking closely about something or other though, because his forehead was creased in concentration and then his hand went to the top of his hair, pulling roughly on the strands.

"Well erm…I was wondering if you wanted to come round mine tomorrow. Just to spend some time away from…well, Rachael," he explained carefully, grinning in response as soon as he mentioned Rachael's name.

I couldn't help but smile back in response because he looked so carefree when he smiled like that.

"I just thought it would be nice to spend time with you without…well, constantly getting the mickey took out of us." He joked. "It would be nice and…well, you also told me you were going to let me listen to you play the piano one day." He reminded me.

I groaned in response, instantly feeling really embarrassed at the idea of that now. This only made him grin in response to my embarrassment as I hid my face in my hands as my cheeks started to flush in response.

"Oh god…do I have to?" I mumbled beneath my hands.

"Well…I guess you don't have to." He insisted happily, though I could still hear the disappointment in his voice, making me groan again in response.

I couldn't stand to disappoint Rob so as soon as I knew that I might have disappointed him if I didn't agree to play for him tomorrow when I went round to see him, I knew I had to play for him and impress him instead.

"Fine, fine…I guess I did say that after all." I finally agreed with a sigh.

As soon as I had said that though, his hand brushed against the edge of my arm gingerly, the warmth of his skin against mine, making me want to groan in a completely different way.

I controlled myself though, letting him lift my arm from my face. As soon as he had, his fingers brushed against the skin underneath my chin, forcing me to look back at him.

He evoked so many feelings in me at that moment that I could have quite easily leaned forwards to kiss him because there was nothing else I wanted in that moment.

His eyes were sincere, kind as he searched mine, instantly building even more intense feelings within me.

"You don't have to, if you don't want to." He insisted lightly, a smile lightening up his face as he kept his fingers pressed underneath my chin, still keeping my face close to his.

"No…no, honestly, it's fine." I insisted a little breathless, completely mesmerised with all that belonged to Rob.

His mouth turned up into another breath-taking smile and I knew then that it was likely that he had such a hold over me without him even knowing it that there wasn't going to be many things that I could have ever refused him.


	26. Songbird

**Songbird**

I wanted to be more honest with the girls when it came to Rob this time and u knew that it didn't matter so much if I told them where I was going because nothing was actually going on between me and Rob right now and the truth was that I really was just going round to spend a bit of time with him.

Of course, I had opened myself to lots of mickey taking as soon as I confessed that to the girls, especially Rachael.

I ignored them though because I really didn't think that me spending some time alone with Rob at his house really meant that there was anything in it at all. No matter how much I wanted there to be.

Nevertheless, I couldn't deny that I wanted to make an effort to look nice because I couldn't deny that I still wanted him to think that I looked nice. I could never lie about that.

I washed my hair first in the morning, taking my time in the shower as the soothing hot water washed over me whilst I thought over today. I put on some of my Ghost perfume, remembering that he had commented once on how nice it smelt.

I chose a blue and fuchsia-coloured, striped tee shirt which wad fitted and came up just above my waist. I paired it with a salmon pink coloured maxi skirt with a flowing back skirt and a much shorter front of the skirt, showing off my tanned legs.

I paired them with a pair of brown sandals, matching them with the brown belt around my skirt, which was tied loosely around my waist.

I left my hair damp and naturally wavy from my shower and brushed my hair round to my left shoulder, before heading downstairs to grab some breakfast before I headed out to go and see Rob.

Luckily, the girls were still in bed as it was a Saturday morning and I was relieved about that, given how much flack I had received from the girls already.

I couldn't deny that I felt a little excited about having some time alone with Rob as it would have been a nice change to spend more time together without the constant commenting from Rachael that we were more than used to.

I eat some strawberries, too nervous to eat anything else and grabbed my shoulder bag before heading out quickly.

Rob's house wasn't that far away from our house and now that I knew where I was going around LA, I felt comfortable walking around.

It was a lovely day today anyway and it already felt really warm, which instantly made me feel glad that I had put on my loose, casual clothes for today.

I knew I had to be careful about being seen still though as I was slowly starting to get recognised more and Rob was very famous so if anyone caught me heading into his house, I knew it would look suspicious.

I headed for the back of his house instead, remembering there was a gate leading round to the back and knowing that that was the safest way round without me getting recognised by anyone too.

I knocked on the back of his door, knowing that Rob would know it was me despite me coming to the back of his house.

As soon as he opened the back door, I couldn't help but smile in response.

He looked just as handsome as he always did and as usual, I found it a difficult mission to keep my eyes off of him.

His hair looked a little shorter today, but his hair still had that untamed look about it from where he had been running his hands through the top of his hair and messing it up.

He was wearing a light grey plain tee shirt and jeans and I couldn't help but notice how even in the most plainest of clothes, he still managed to look as gorgeous as always.

All I could do was stand there, staring at him in shock and wondering how the hell I had even been lucky enough to have ever had the chance with him in the first place.

His mouth turned up into an irresistible smile, his eyes shining brightly underneath the light of day and instantly I smiled back in response, feeling myself become excited as I realised that we had as long as we wanted to talk to each other today.

I was planning to stay for as long as I was allowed to because I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

I knew Rachael had been right about what she had told me.

I needed to start spending more time with him and prove to him that it really was him that I wanted to be with and nobody else and I planned to do just that.

"Hey," Rob spoke first of all, speaking softly as he kept his eyes on me the whole time that he spoke.

I couldn't help but shiver a little in response; not able to take my eyes away from his intense, green eyes.

"Hey," I whispered back, not sure what else to say.

He smiled in response, stepping backwards slightly and holding the door open for me to come in.

I took a deep breath and stepped forwards and through the doorway of his house, ignoring the stunning fragrance that followed him as he closed the door behind me.

I looked back round at him as he shut the door, checking him out a little bit whilst his back was to me.

I mean how could I not when I was given the opportunity?

His jeans were well fitted, showcasing his very good looking bum and I instantly chewed on the edge of my bottom lip, knowing I shouldn't have been thinking about him like this but knowing there was no way I could help it.

As soon as he looked round at me again, I instantly looked away, pretending to take in the small dining area of his home.

"You look…really lovely today." I heard him say confidently and I couldn't help but smile in response as I realised by the tone of his voice that he was being serious when he said that and he meant it.

I pursed my lips together in response, trying not to look too happy about his compliment as I looked back to him and pretended to just realised what he was wearing.

"Thank you…you do too." I insisted, looking back up at him and smiling innocently.

He ran a hand through his hair, looking as though he was fighting a grin in response to my compliment and he looked disbelieving about what I had just said.

"You're too kind," he insisted jokingly. "Did you want anything…a drink or that?" He asked me as we stepped further into the dining room.

I followed him round to the kitchen as he flicked the kettle on, shaking my head when he finally looked back to me.

"No…I'm fine, thank you." I insisted, before looking back round his house, feeling a little confused.

I was wondering where Bear was because the truth was, I had looked forward to seeing him again today.

"Where's Bear?" I asked curiously, turning back to Rob and watching him as he made a coffee for himself.

"Urm…Kristen wanted him for a few days. Her Mum's in town and they normally take Bear and her other Dog for a walk together so I agreed to let her have him."

I smiled sadly in response because I knew it must have been hard for him to share Bear with Kristen now, given everything that had happened between them.

I was so thankful that I hadn't gotten any dogs with Steven because the truth was that when I was with him, I had been tempted to do that, because of how serious the relationship was at one point.

I knew I would have just ended up regretting it in the end though because either way we would have broken up and then we would have had to share our dog in exactly the same way.

As far as I was concerned, I didn't want anything to do with my ex-boyfriend's and I was sure that Rob would have felt the same way about Kristen, given what had happened between the two of them.

"Oh…well that was nice of you. I suppose it's good…that things are civilised enough between you to share Bear, given how much he means to the both of you." I replied eventually, after suddenly becoming aware that I hadn't yet replied to what he had just said.

He shrugged in response as he poured the hot water into his cup.

"I guess I'm used to it now," he confessed easily. "It's been six months since we broke up and I didn't want things to be too awkward between us, not after we had spent so many years together."

I nodded in response, wishing it had been more like that with me and Steven. I hadn't had a problem with him at all and desperately wanted to be his friend after we had broken up but he just couldn't do it.

"Yeah, I understand." I replied truthfully.

He stirred his coffee once before turning around to face me, his eyes soft as soon as they found mine.

"I'll always care for her, of course I will." He admitted, instantly sending dread through me in response. "She was a massive part of my life and she did so much for me when I was adjusting to life in LA and I've always said I'll be there for her if she needs me."

I nodded in response again, quickly dropping my gaze to my hands, feeling really awkward about what he was saying about Kristen.

Obviously I wasn't stupid; I knew he had cared a lot about her given how much he had loved her. But I just hadn't realised how _much_ he cared about her and not only did I feel completely and overwhelmingly jealous but I felt so stupid for coming here today now too.

"But that's as far as it is between us. She's my friend, nothing more and that's not going to change." He added quickly, instantly getting my attention again.

I looked up in shock, seeing that he was still watching me closely as he had said that.

"Really?" I asked him in surprise, trying not to get my hopes up about the fact that he didn't want her back.

He nodded.

"I mean what I said, she does still mean a lot to me but I couldn't be with her again. She's hurt me too much for me to consider that. I think I could have considered it at first, because she had meant a lot to me when I was with her…and if she had done it once, I think I could have gotten over it and moved on but she did it twice and I know that if I was to ever take her back again, there would be so many people who would tell me I was being completely stupid."

I nodded in response, listening carefully to what he was saying.

"But surely…if you loved someone, then it wouldn't matter what anyone else said about it?" I asked him curiously, mostly because I wanted to hear what his response to that would be. "I know for a fact that not many people liked Steven because they thought he treated me with a complete lack of respect. When I was with him, I was completely blind to anything, because I loved him so much and I refused to listen to them. And when we finally did break up, I realised just how much he had been controlling me."

"A bit like what you're realising now…with Jamie, I mean." He reminded me correctly, making me sigh heavily in response, because he was completely right about that.

"Yeah exactly." I forced myself to agree.

"You knew your relationship was wrong though…when you'd had some time away from Steven, I mean…" he explained.

I nodded. "Oh yeah, of course. It was easier to come to terms that our relationship wasn't half as perfect as I had initially thought."

He nodded with me in agreement.

"Well I've had six months to reflect on our relationship which has given me time to realise that we'd be better off as friends. I would definitely say that there's a lot more hassle now that we're friends and we're both a lot happier too." He confessed.

I nodded in response; feeling relieved to hear this, even though I knew that was awful of me to confess.

"Well that's good then, at least there's no pressure between the two of you." I replied carefully, because despite feeling the way I was, I really did mean that.

It was good to see that they were adult enough to sort things between the two of them and obviously become a lot better friends in the long process and I almost felt stupid now for feeling as jealous as I had been when I had seen them together at the Teen Choice Awards.

He nodded in agreement again.

"Exactly," he agreed. "I'll always be grateful for what she's done for me but that's as far as it goes." He insisted again, keeping his eyes on mine the whole time as though to make me understand that he would never get back with her.

I just nodded in again response, before finally smiling in response, to show him that I believed in what he was saying.

He smiled back, looking somewhat relieved.

"Anyway…do you reckon you'll finish things with Jamie when he gets back?" Rob asked me straight out, sounding curious about that.

I stared back in shock for a moment, not really expecting him to ask me that.

"Ur…" I stuttered nervously, feeling despairingly desperate and embarrassed underneath his intense eyes.

I stared down at my hands and took a deep breath, calming myself down before I just about managed to blurt out what I was thinking.

"Yeah, I think I will…things are obviously not going to work between us. We're not right together." I spelled it out for him just as clearly as he had to me about Kristen.

I looked back up at him from underneath my dark lashes, just in time to see him fighting a smile in response. He pursed his lips together in a hard line and his forehead creased as he pulled a serious face.

"I think you're probably right about that," he agreed quickly. "What he's been doing to you…well it was completely wrong. If he can't admit to himself that he has a problem, I definitely think it's better and safer for you to take a step back from the situation."

I smiled sadly in response, knowing that he was right.

The relationship between us was wrong anyway but Rob was right in saying that what Jamie had been doing was wrong and it was obvious to me that Jamie wouldn't have been able to admit that what he was doing wrong. Because no matter what I did, I knew he would turn it back on me so that it was my fault when really it was _his_ fault for turning violent towards me when I hadn't done anything wrong.

And even if I had done something wrong, I didn't give him the right to turn violent towards me just because he didn't like what I was saying or what I was doing.

"Yeah, you're right." I nodded. "He wouldn't ever admit that he was the one with the problem because he's one of those people who turn everything back on me so that it makes me feel guilty and make me look bad, so that it looks as though he has enough reason to become physically violent towards me."

Rob's face furrowed in confusion at that. "How would he turn it back on you?"

I chewed on the edge of my bottom lip nervously, not sure on whether or not I should tell Rob given that it was about him. But in the end, I decided to tell him anyway, because I wanted to always be honest with Rob.

"For example…he wanted me to stay away from you as much as possible because he didn't like us spending time with each other and if you were to walk in the same room as me or whatever, he'd get angry with me about it, even though it wasn't my fault at all. Like I kept saying to him, you got on so well with Tasha and Rachael and obviously Kellan and Jackson too; it wasn't as though I could tell you to keep away from me or whatever because who was I to tell you what to do?"

He shook his head in response, looking aggravated to hear that.

"That's absolutely pathetic," he spat angrily, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "It just shows that he obviously has no trust in you whatsoever. It's insane that he really thought that by threatening you to stay away from me that he could somehow control his temper, his jealousy. He obviously has quite a problem."

I shrugged in response, knowing he was right, but still feeling the need to stick up for him because I knew it wasn't as though I was completely innocent in this.

"Yeah I know…don't get me wrong, I know you're right. But I can't help but feel as though it was my fault sometimes." I confessed sheepishly, hardly able to say it out-loud.

"What?" Rob exclaimed in shock, as though I was being completely stupid, which to be fair, I probably was. "You can't actually be serious!"

He stepped forwards, pressing his hands to the table which was situated between us as he stared at me closely, waiting for some kind of rational response from me.

I flushed awkwardly in response to him watching me so closely because I knew despite how insane it was for me to be thinking like this, I was sort of right.

"I just mean…" I started, not knowing where to begin.

I felt really awkward confessing all these feelings for him but I knew that to get him understand why I was feeling like this, I had to just be honest with him.

I took a deep breath and just blurted out what I wanted to say, before I could think about it properly or stop myself from saying it.

"He had nothing to worry about…not whilst you were away anyway. When you left LA, I didn't think you were going to come back." I confessed sheepishly, watching him take that in from underneath my eyelashes.

He looked surprised to hear that but I forced myself to continue anyway.

"And then when you did come back…I was so happy. I felt really shocked because I hadn't expected to see you again so I wasn't prepared for it, but I was glad you had, because…well, I was never as happy with Jamie as before you left." I spelled it out for him, feeling my cheeks turning hotter and hotter as I continued with my confession.

I stared down at my hands and forced myself to continue onwards with my confession as I twiddled with my fingers nervously whilst talking.

"And Jamie could obviously tell…which was why he started to get more and more jealous and more violent too. I'm not making excuses for him or anything because what he did was completely wrong but yet I can still understand why he had felt like he had because I hadn't exactly made it any easier for him either." I explained carefully.

I took a quick look up at him to see him staring downwards, his eyes on the table in front of us as he listened to me carefully. His forehead was in concentration and he still looked a little confused, which obviously meant that I needed to spell it out completely to him so that he knew where he stood with me.

I kept my eyes downwards on my hands, ignoring how quickly my heart was racing and ignoring the stomach turning sickening feeling rumbling through my stomach as I confessed more and more to him.

"Anyway…I guess the more time that you and I spent together, the more Jamie could see that I obviously still had feelings for you." I spelled it out for him clearly, making sure that I didn't trip over my words as I spoke, despite how much I almost did because of how nervous I was feeling about being this honest with him.

I had just confessed that I basically had feelings for Rob still, which should have cleared up how I still felt for him.

I chewed on my bottom lip hard again as I stared up at him through my eyelashes, catching him lifting his head and looking up at me in time.

His eyes were slightly wider than normally and I could tell he was surprised by my admission to say the least. He looked as though he wasn't sure on what to say in response to what I had just said to him and in all honesty, now that I had been that honest, I didn't know how I could move on the conversation either.

"And…that still stands?" He asked uncertainly, sounding as though he wanted to make sure about that.

My heartbeat quickened in response, my stomach clenching together tightly to make me feel sick again but I ignored all of that as I forced a nod in response, knowing he had every right to know where he stood and how I felt about him.

His eyes darkened slightly, a familiar emotion filling them as he stood, frozen to the spot, not looking sure what to do or say now.

I shivered in response, unable to help myself.

When he looked at me in such a way, I truly felt as though I couldn't breathe and that was the same now.

"Well, he doesn't deserve you anyway." He finally said; his voice a little deeper than before. His eyes were still glued to mine and despite how much I was flushing in that moment, I couldn't bear to look away from him.

My whole body felt tight, frozen to the spot and that familiar feeling swept through my stomach and downwards, sending warm thrills of desire throughout the whole of me.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, he forced his eyes back down to the table. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breathe to calm himself down.

I was glad for that moment as it gave me time to control myself for a moment, now that I couldn't feel his intense, green eyes on me.

It remained like that with us for a while, slightly awkward, with both of us not knowing what to say or do because of my confession.

I don't think Rob was entirely expecting me to have been so honest with him as he seemed really unsure on what to do for the best now but I knew I had done the right thing in telling him how I was feeling. He had the right to know after all, because then I wasn't leading anybody on or lying to anybody.

He still wanted me to play for him though and it seemed that despite my heavy confession, he hadn't forgotten my promise to him.

I followed him over to where his piano was stood, sighing heavily in response as I realised what he wanted.

He turned and smiled sheepishly at me, running his hand through the top of his hair as he went and stood beside the piano, still watching me curiously as I got more and more embarrassed about playing the piano in front of Rob.

It was completely different to playing the guitar in front of him, because it felt more natural for me to do that. Playing the piano was difficult and took most of my concentration and if he wanted to sing too then it would definitely take _all_ of my attention up.

"You know you don't have to if you don't want to." He insisted with a shrug, fighting a smile as he continued watching me.

I rolled my eyes in response because he was being completely silly if he believed that I could have ever said no to him about anything that he asked me to do when I knew that he really wanted me to do it.

"Of course I do, because I know how much you want to hear me play." I replied in a panic, groaning at the thought of slipping up in front of Rob and ending up making a fool of myself or something.

He shrugged, obviously not realising why that would have mattered.

"So? You never have to do anything you don't want to do, Charlie." He insisted kindly, with a smile.

But that just made me even more determined to prove that I really could do this, that I could do this in _front_ of him, because I knew how curious he was about hearing me play and probably sing too.

I took a deep breath and walked over to the piano slowly, trying to keep as calm as possible the whole time that I walked over to it. I took a seat on the bench, watching as Rob turned round from where he was stood, watching me curiously. He was smiling as he leaned over the top of the piano slightly, still watching me closely.

I chewed nervously on my bottom lip, not exactly appreciating the closeness of him. All it did was put me off even more and I knew I definitely couldn't do it, with him leaning over so closely to me.

"Can you erm…can you just stand properly maybe…if you didn't mind? It's really off-putting with you watching me so closely." I confessed, stuttering nervously as I said that.

It really was the truth though, despite how much I might have enjoyed him being stood so close to me.

He nodded in response, trying not to smile as he stood back up properly, giving us some distance between us.

I took a deep breath, feeling less intoxicated by his very presence and got myself ready to start playing.

"Urm…there's a song that I thought of the other day. I was thinking about…well, stuff and started to think of these lyrics, which seemed to fit everything that I was beginning to feel. So err…it's kind of from the heart, I guess you could say." I confessed, hoping that he would understand where I was going with that and why I was explaining to him for as soon as he started to hear the song.

I peered up at him nervously, to see him nodding his head in response.

"Cool…so you're singing too?" He asked me nosily, sounding excited about the prospect of hearing me sing for the first time properly.

I nodded, ignoring the way that my cheeks kept turning hotter and hotter, the more that I blushed.

Of course the song was all about him because I had been thinking about him when the lyrics had come to my head. Some of the lyrics, like confessing my love for him had been dramatized. I didn't think I was actually in love with him yet because I thought that was absurd given how short a time I had known him for, but there was no denying that I had feelings for him.

But you couldn't put that into a song without it sounding stupid and them three words sounded so much better in a song.

I started to play then, keeping my head down as I did so that I could concentrate properly on what I was doing.

Everything about the lyrics I had imagined clearly sounded perfect for Rob because everything I had thought of was everything that I really did think of him.

As soon as I started to sing, I forced myself to look upwards to see his reaction to each line that I sung.

_For you, there'll be no more crying. For you, the sun will be shining_.

I began carefully, watching as a soft smile spread across his face, instantly making my heart race faster.

_And I feel that when I'm with you, it's alright, I know its right._

I continued onwards, barely needing to look down at the piano keys to see which one to play because I already really knew. I knew this song so well, so I kept my eyes on him, watching him closely as he listened to the lyrics.

His forehead was creased in concentration as he listened carefully to me sing and I was pleased to see that he still looked impressed.

_To you, I'll give the world. To you, I'll never be cold. 'Cause I feel that when I'm with you, it's alright. I know it's right._

I continued, peeking up at him again as I sung that and starting to see a sudden realisation starting to flicker across his face. I knew he wasn't stupid and I knew that the more he listened to the lyrics, he could have easily guessed who I was singing about and I was glad. Because then there would be no need to have any more awkward conversations. I was spelling it out for him in the easiest way I knew how; by singing.

_And the songbirds are singing, like they know the score…And I love you, I love you, I love you…like never before._

I chanced another look towards him to see that he looked shocked now, his eyes uncertain and surprised, but his forehead was still creased in concentration as he continued to concentrate on the lyrics of the song, so I happily continued; relieved that he finally understood exactly how I was feeling.

_And I wish you all the love in the world, but most of all, I wish it from myself._

I watched him the whole time that I sung them lyrics, because more than anything in the song, I meant that the most.

_And the songbirds keep singing, like they know the score…And I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before._

Finally, the song came to an end and as soon as I had finished playing, I breathed a deep sigh of relief in response. It was harder than I thought, singing that song, because it was so honest and so sincere and all of the lyrics were an important aspect to me because it was everything I was starting to feel.

I cleared my throat awkwardly as my hands slipped away from the piano keys, finding the growing silence between us quite uncomfortable. I pressed my hands together, trying to ignore the way that they were shaking in fear, due to my fear of what his reaction would be now that he had heard it.

"Urm…I overexerted that love you a bit…I thought it was a bit more suitable in a song." I explained carefully, breaking the silence, desperately hoping that that part of the song wouldn't have frightened him with how strong it was.

He still didn't say anything in response to that so I took a deep breath and forced myself to be brave, knowing that nothing would sort itself out, not if we were both being silent and not saying anything.

I got up from the piano bench and made my way round, biting down nervously on my bottom lip as I became more and more nervous about seeing whatever reaction I might get from him because of the song.

I turned and faced him, standing beside him and waiting for him to turn around and face me properly.

My stomach was turning at a rapid pace, making me feel sick with nerves and I couldn't quite let go of my bottom lip yet, not when biting it was giving me the control that I needed whilst I waited for his response.

His forehead was still creased a little, and he still looked completely shocked as he stood there, working it all out in his head. He sighed heavily in response and finally turned around to look back at me.

He took his time, allowing his eyes to find mine.

I didn't care though and despite how frightened I was, I kept my eyes on his the whole time, unable to stop myself sighing a breath of relief as his eyes finally found mine.

His green eyes were soft and sincere and I instantly lost myself in their intense depths whilst I desperately hoped he would say something I wanted to hear, something positive.

"That err…" he started in a quiet voice, stuttering nervously as he tried to find the right words. "That song wasn't about Jamie, was it?" He asked me quite certainly, sounding more like he was just asking me to make sure that it definitely wasn't.

He definitely sounded as though he already knew though and I knew that I couldn't lie to him now, not after how honest I had been with him so far.

I shook my head, keeping my eyes locked with his as I spoke. "Of course it wasn't." I insisted confidently.

He looked taken aback for a moment, despite him obviously having already known that for himself, but he nodded anyway, taking a moment to take that in.

As soon as he had, his forehead creased a little bit again, his eyes turning more intense as he realised what I was saying.

I didn't wait any longer, knowing that this could have been my chance to really prove to him how I felt. I wanted him to know that I regretted breaking up with him and messing things up the first time and I also wanted to prove how much I wanted him back.

I stepped forwards to him, ignoring how nervous I was starting to feel.

He watched me in surprise for a moment, wondering what he was doing, before the realisation finally sunk in and it showed on his face. He looked surprised but there was no denying that that intense emotion was still smouldering away in his eyes, leading me onwards even further.

I began to lean inwards a little, unable to stop myself feeling delighted as he refused to step away from me.

Instead, he followed my lead and leaned in towards me a little too and my breath instantly hitched as I realised that he wasn't pulling away from me.

My heartbeat was racing, quickening in sheer excitement as hot desire swept through me the moment I breathed in his wonderful scent and began to get caught up in everything that belonged to Rob.

I closed my eyes, waiting impatiently for the feel of his sweet, soft lips against mine, knowing it couldn't have come soon enough. This was what I had been waiting for, for weeks on end; for _him_.

"No, I…I can't."

My eyes jolted back open and I could feel the shock leak onto my face as soon as I watched Rob tear himself away from me and pull away, leaving me stood beside the piano as he walked away, keeping his back turned to me.

I stared at him confused, wondering what was wrong.

"What…I, I don't understand-"

"I can't do this," he interrupted my nervous stuttering, whilst I stood rooted to the spot, still trying to work out why he had pulled away from me.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, genuinely sounding sincere about that.

I just nodded in response, embarrassment and disappointment flooding through me as I began to realise that once again, I had made a complete fool of myself in front of him again.

"It's fine," I insisted, despite how hurt I was by his rejection. "You obviously don't feel the same about me and that's fine-"

"That wasn't why I pulled away from you." He quickly interrupted me before I could start to convinced myself of that but that just confused me even more.

He turned around after he had controlled himself, sighing heavily as he ran his hand through the top of his hair. He watched me closely, his eyes full of remorse as he began to explain why he had pulled away from me so quickly for.

"I pulled away from you, because _this_ isn't me." He explained, gesturing his hand from me to him. "You're still with Jamie technically and yes, what he's done to you is absolutely disgusting. But I know that if we were to just give in and kiss now, it wouldn't just be me who would feel really guilty…you would too. And it wouldn't be right yet, despite what he's done to you."

I nodded in response, suddenly realising he was right. I hadn't even thought of it like that but I instantly knew that if we had then he was right. As soon as I saw Jamie again, I would have felt so guilty for kissing Rob whilst I was still with Jamie. At least, when I faced him now, I knew I had absolutely nothing to feel guilty for.

"You're right," I agreed, knowing that despite how much I felt for Rob, despite how much I desperately wanted to stop fighting all of these feelings for him and just give in, I still needed to be honest to Jamie.

We weren't cheaters, we weren't like that.

And he was right about it not being fair on Jamie, despite how much he had done to me because then both of our consciences would be clear then.

"No, you're right," I continued onwards, sighing heavily as I took a seat back on the edge of the piano again. "We can't do this." I said it out-loud to make it more real to myself that it wouldn't tempt me any further.

Rob instantly headed back over to me, kneeling carefully in front of me and catching my chin with his index finger.

I gasped in response, not expecting him to have done that.

His touch sent a deeply intensifying spark through me as he pushed my chin up, forcing me to look up at him.

He was watching me closely, his face not too far away from mine now. His eyes were so sincere, so kind that I couldn't help but smile in response as I got caught up in all of the goodness of Rob.

"I'm not saying I'm not ever going to kiss you or give us this chance again because trust me, I want to." He insisted seriously.

I chewed on the edge of my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling in response, staying silent as I let him continue with what he was saying, knowing there was going to be a _but_ in there somewhere too.

"I'm just saying not now, not whilst you're still with Jamie." He added, straightening that out so that we both understood where we stood.

I nodded in response, unable to stop myself from being relieved with knowing that he actually wanted me. He had confessed it himself and knowing that I had another chance with him, despite all the stupid things I had done gave me hope that I could fix things between us properly and get a second chance to make things right between us.


	27. Judgement Day

**Judgement Day**

Despite how surprising this was, I found it easy to be able to cool things off between me and Rob for a while, at least until Jamie came back from England so that I could talk to him properly and end things completely with him.

I thought that would have been one of the hardest things to do given how much I wanted Rob back, but just being able to spend time together as friends without getting told off from Jamie was more than enough for me.

The hard part was knowing that in less than one week, I would have to talk to Jamie and hurt him by ending things.

Despite knowing he deserved it because of the way he had treated me, of course I felt absolutely guilty.

How could I not when all along, during the whole of our relationship, it had been about Rob the whole time.

Jamie hadn't stood a chance the minute Rob had come back because I still had feelings for him and I should have never tried to move on as quickly as I had because it hadn't solved anything and had just made my situation worst.

But people made mistakes…

The whole week, I was dreading the idea of having to talk to Jamie, but I knew that it had to be done.

I was frightened too, because I knew how easy it was for him to turn violent when he didn't like something somebody said and I couldn't help but wonder what he was going to be like when I dumped him.

The girls were adamant that they could have done it for me so that I wouldn't have to face Jamie at all but I knew I couldn't have allowed that.

It wasn't fair to ask them to do that all and neither was it fair to get somebody else to do my dirty work just because I was frightened of him.

The more the days crept on though, getting closer and closer to the Saturday morning, when Jamie was due to be back, the more frightened I got.

I couldn't spend time with the girls or Rob properly because I was starting to feel really bad, despite knowing that he had almost pushed me to this in a way.

I felt like I had caused this in a way and I guess that I had. I should have been more honest with him from the beginning when it came to Rob and my feelings for him, though I knew I had definitely made it obvious that I hadn't wanted anything too serious in the beginning of our relationship.

When the Saturday came along, I literally didn't want to get out of bed.

As soon as I woke up and I opened my eyes, I groaned in annoyance, knowing exactly what day it was.

I stretched out lazily, knowing that I had better get up now because it was better to be up ready and be prepared for Jamie to come round and see me rather than not. I guessed it was better to get it out of the way so that it was done and finished with then, no matter what would happen today.

I felt so terrible about doing what I was about to do, but I knew that it had to be done, because things were definitely not working between us.

The one good thing about today was that Rob, Kellan and Jackson had all agreed to come round because they all wanted to be there, mainly just in case things got out of control.

I knew that they couldn't all be seen to be there when Jamie came round to talk to me though as it wasn't fair and it would look as though they were ganging up on him in a way.

Of course I appreciated their help, because knowing someone like Kellan was around in case I needed him made me feel a lot safer but I was happy when we all agreed that they would stay in the living room with the door shut and keeping out of view whilst I talked to Jamie properly in the kitchen.

I took a long, hot shower, wanting nothing more than to stay there all day and lose myself in the hot water so that I didn't have to think about anything else at all.

I spent ages in the shower, breathing in the hot steam of the shower as I tried to turn off my thoughts of today and shut everything out whilst I showered.

I didn't want to get out of the shower but I knew that I had to because I couldn't exactly put Jamie off forever.

I got out of the shower, wrapping the towel around me as I headed back into my bedroom and looked into my wardrobe for something to wear.

I didn't want to wear anything too dressy because I felt bad enough about what I was doing anyway which was why I wanted something casual that I could slouch in.

I put on a dark grey Nike hoodie with a pair of blue denim jeans because I hadn't planned on going anywhere today because I knew I was going to feel bad enough after ending things with Jamie.

I left my hair wavy and headed downstairs to see if anyone else was up yet.

I could hear chattering from the kitchen and luckily, it only seemed to be Tasha and Rachael, which told me that the guys hadn't come round yet.

It wasn't that I didn't want the guys to come round as I knew that I would feel a lot safer with them here but I just felt really bad in feeling as though I needed them around when I talked to Jamie, despite knowing how easily he could fly off the handle.

I headed into the kitchen a little warily, to see Rachael and Tasha sat at the kitchen table opposite each other.

As soon as they saw me, they both smiled worriedly in response, making me roll my eyes in response.

They were looking at me as though I was fragile and would break easily or something and though I understood why they were obviously concerned for me because of me having to talk to Jamie but I didn't like the idea of everyone feeling sorry for me and looking at me as though I needed everyone's help.

"Hey," Tasha smiled politely.

I smiled back as I came into the room, instantly heading to the kettle and boiling it. I definitely needed a cup of tea.

"Hey, how are you this morning?" Rachael asked me with concern, instantly making me sigh in response.

It was no offence to her; I just knew exactly why she was asking me that. It was because she was worried about how I was feeling, knowing I had to face Jamie today, rather than just because she was just making conversation.

I shrugged and decided to reply anyway, knowing that I should.

"Yeah I'm fine, I guess. I'll be okay after I get today over with." I insisted quickly, hoping that they would insist on keep talking about it because it only made me feel even worse than what I already did.

"Yeah, you'll be fine sweetie. Just think, once you get today over with, you can be with Rob then."

I frowned in response, trying not to feel even guiltier to hear her saying it like that but I completely failed.

"Yeah no offence Rachael, but that just makes me feel worse." I confessed honestly as I poured the hot water into the cup and stirred it.

"Why honey?" She asked me confused, as though she was completely oblivious as to why I should have felt guilty for.

"Because when you say it like that Rach, it just makes it sound as though I was using Jamie until I could get Rob back." I confessed sheepishly, feeling so guilty knowing that I was going to have to dump him today as it was.

I grabbed my cup of tea and went and sat down beside Rachael at the table.

"Oh don't be silly," Rachael insisted, rolling her eyes in response. "You've got absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, Charlie. He was the one who started abusing you so if you do end up with Rob after you dump him then it will serve him right for treating you like a bit of crap on his shoes."

Tasha nodded in response; obviously agree with what Rachael was saying.

"Yeah, I have to agree with Rachael. He's treated you like rubbish throughout the whole of this relationship so he deserves to be dumped if you asked me." She huffed. "And nobody should hit you because of how you feel either. He needs to remember that Rob was here before him and you haven't done anything wrong. It's not like you kissed him or anything whilst you've been with Jamie, is it?"

I shook my head. "No, of course not."

"Well then…you've got absolutely nothing to feel guilty about." Tasha insisted confidently, smiling at me.

I just nodded, forcing a smile back at her in response despite not wanting to smile at all, all day today. I just literally felt like curling into a ball and disappearing from the world for a day but I knew I couldn't do that either.

Once Rachael and Tasha saw that I hadn't grabbed anything to eat, she stared at me anxiously, both of them pulling the same expression.

"You need to eat Charlie." Tasha warned me.

I frowned and shook my head in response, because the truth was, I didn't feel hungry in the slightest. I just felt really sick and really guilty too.

"Charlie, if you don't eat then we'll force you to eat." Rachael warned me angrily in response to me shaking my head.

"Look…I'm just not hungry right now. I'll eat later when this is all out of the way and finished with, but right now, I just feel really sick." I confessed, not wanting to go into every little detail with them about this.

They didn't look very convinced about that but they just nodded in response, reluctantly letting it go.

Shortly after I had drunk my tea and was still sat at the kitchen table, the front door doorbell rang which instantly made me freeze in the kitchen chair. I looked out into the hallway and to the front door, my eyes widening a little bit in response to the fact that it might have been Jamie already.

Rachael sighed and got up from the chair, knowing that I was far too frightened to open the door to see if it was him.

She walked up to me first and hugged me softly, to let me know that she was there for me and I really appreciated that, given how frightened I was.

She didn't say anything and I appreciated that even more.

She moved away from me, heading into the hallway and leaving me and Tasha alone in the kitchen.

I watched nervously as Rachael headed to the front door, wishing to god that it wasn't Jamie coming round yet.

As soon as she pulled open the front door, I kept my eyes on the front door, nosing around Rachael's small figure to see who it was.

I instantly breathed a sigh when I saw that there were a few people standing outside, telling me that it was obviously Jackson, Kellan and Rob.

And as soon as I saw Rob starting to head into the front door, I couldn't help but smile in response.

I instantly felt so relieved that he was actually here and that Jamie hadn't beat him to it in coming round because the thought of Rob being here whilst I dumped Jamie if I needed him made me feel even safer than the thought of Kellan being here and that was saying something given how tall and frightening looking Kellan was.

As soon as Rachael had moved out of the way of the front door and was busy chatting to Jackson and Kellan at the side of the hallway, Rob was already passing her and heading straight to the kitchen.

As soon as he walked through the kitchen door, he literally took my breath away, just like he did every single time he was here.

He was too impossibly gorgeous without even trying.

His dark hair looked a mess today, as though he had been running his hand through it all morning and he looked a little concerned compared to normal.

He was dressed in casual clothes today too, just like me.

He was wearing a light grey shirt, which managed to look really lovely against his pale skin. He had a few of the buttons undone, giving me a small preview to the top of his chest and I couldn't help but stare a little bit.

He paired the shirt off with some fitted, light blue denim jeans and his favourite pair of black trainers.

As soon as his eyes fell on me, sat at the kitchen table, his mouth turned up into a smile, though it looked like quite a forced, tight smile.

I smiled back anyway, trying to pretend that I wasn't bothered about today, even though I definitely was.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked me anxiously, though I could tell that he definitely wasn't just asking because he was worried about what today might bring. He was asking me because he cared too.

I nodded, keeping my eyes on him as he headed further into the kitchen.

Tasha made an excuse about wanting to talk to Kellan, before she hurried out into the hallway and left me and Rob to talk on our own in the kitchen.

Rob smiled sheepishly to himself, running his hand through the top of his hair as he thought about something or other.

"I seem to have cleared the room out." He joked, turning to grin at me in response.

I huffed, pretending as though that wasn't the case at all and grinned back at him jokingly in response.

"Hey, I'm still here."

He nodded, taking that on board. "Well okay, I'll change that. I seem to have cleared the room out excluding you."

I laughed in response, shrugging it off. "Meh, I'm too comfy here."

This time he laughed in response, sounding amused by that and I couldn't help but laugh back, given how amused he sounded. All it did was want to make me laugh with him and forget about everything I had to worry about.

"I wasn't sure whether or not to come round." He confessed sheepishly, peering up at me after he had said that.

I smiled sadly in response, knowing how he felt.

"Well, I'm glad you did anyway." I confessed. "I just mean…you, Kellan and Jackson. It makes me feel better, knowing that it isn't just me, Tasha and Rachael here at the house when Jamie comes round."

He just nodded, smiling back.

"I understand how you feel." He insisted.

We stayed in the kitchen for ages, talking about anything that didn't include Jamie and I was really glad that he made the effort not to, obviously realising that he would have been the last thing I wanted to talk about.

And then, I heard the doorbell rang.

I instantly froze in my chair in shock, my eyes darting upwards to look at Rob who was still sat opposite me.

He looked just as surprised as me even though it was early afternoon and we all knew that Jamie would come around the house today, because he had already told me he would before he went away and I didn't believe that Jamie would go back on that.

I didn't want to move, I didn't want to get up from where I was sat but I knew that I was going to have to face him eventually.

Rob got up the same time that I did and I couldn't help but sigh heavily in response as I realised that Rob would be sat in the living room.

I desperately wanted him to stay in the kitchen with me but I knew that he couldn't and I knew that it would never be fair to even consider asking him either.

I had to face Jamie on my own, as that was the least that he deserved.

Rob turned to look at me as soon as we got to the kitchen door, his green eyes wary and intense as he looked back at me.

The way he was watching me literally took my breath away and I could only stare back, feeling a little breathless as he stayed standing where he was, still watching me intensely.

"I'll only be in the living room if you need me…or anyone else." He added quickly. "I'll be listening carefully too." He promised me sincerely, forcing a smile on his face.

I nodded in response, really appreciating that because then, at least I knew that he was still there for me if I needed him. The one thing I liked knowing the most was that Rob was there for me today because that was what would get me through today.

"Thank you, I mean that…that means a lot." I insisted firmly.

He nodded in response, looking as though he already knew that it meant a lot to me.

He turned away from me and followed everyone else into the living room. I watched as he threw a relieving smile at me just before the living room door closed behind him.

I took a deep breath before forcing myself to head into the hallway to go and greet Jamie, who I knew was still waiting outside the front door.

I pressed one of my hands into the palm of my other hand, trying to control the way they shook from being as nervous as I was.

I took another deep breath and told myself not to be frightened of him, because I knew that whatever he did now, he couldn't touch me. Everyone was in the living room and I knew that if he even tried to hit me then they would be there for me.

I pulled open the front door and looked straight into the eyes of Jamie, determined not to be frightened of him anymore.

He was stood on the doorstep of the house and as soon as I had pulled open the door, his eyes turned from shock to happiness.

He smiled back at me in response, instantly making me feel really guilty about what I was about to do.

"Hey, what took you so long?" He asked in confusion and I could definitely hear the suspicion in his voice for myself.

This made me feel a little less guilty because I knew that he clearly didn't trust me. It was obvious in the way he was watching me so suspiciously. No matter what I did, he wouldn't have trusted me.

"Urr…I was upstairs," I replied awkwardly, not too sure on what to say in response to the way he had said that.

He nodded in response, looking about the hallway behind me curiously and I could tell instantly that he wanted to come in.

"Do you want to come in?" I asked him as politely as possible, holding open the door for him to walk into the house.

"Well yeah that would be nice," he replied sarcastically, as though I had just asked him something really stupid.

I rolled my eyes in response, trying desperately to remind myself that all I needed to do was keep my mouth shut until I had gotten this over with and then he would leave and it would hopefully be all over.

I shut the door behind him as he headed into the hallway and put his bags at the side of the hallway, as though he was thinking he was going to be there for a while.

I couldn't help but feel guilty again, because even though he was completely wrong for the things he had done, he obviously still wanted to stay around.

It was then that I realised just how much I needed this over and done with because I couldn't stand making small talk with him first, as though we were perfectly fine and then just get on with it.

I also knew it wasn't fair on him to do it either.

"Can you erm…come into the kitchen with me please?" I asked him politely as I stepped around him, preparing myself to head into the kitchen.

I turned to him and watched as he finished leaving his bags and he turned to me, a confused look on his face.

"You okay; you sound a bit…tense." He commented worriedly, instantly making me feel even worse.

I just nodded, biting down hard on the edge of my bottom lip and reminding myself that he deserved this. The last time I had even seen him he had beaten me up and since being back for five minutes, he hadn't once told me he was sorry for that.

Obviously he didn't care one bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" I insisted, though I knew I didn't sound too confident at all about that, which was probably giving me away.

I turned round and headed into the kitchen slowly, knowing that he would probably follow me as he wanted to know what was wrong.

"Urm…look, we need to talk." I began, starting as soon as I had walked into the kitchen and had managed to get over to the kitchen table, so that there was hopefully a bit of space between us to talk properly.

I looked back round at him uncertainly, to see that he was stood in the kitchen too now, on the other side of the kitchen table.

He stared at me in shock, looking as though he didn't know what to say about what I had just said.

I imagined it would have been obvious for him to work out what I meant by that, because it wasn't hard to guess when somebody said _we need to talk_ and I couldn't help but feel bad about it still.

"That sounds…ominous." He managed, watching me closely the whole time.

I could see that the shock was starting to wear off and in its place was a slight look of anger, though it looked as though he was trying to hold that back.

I instantly stared down at my hands, not wanting to look at him.

I knew it would just make it harder because it would end up making me frightened of his reaction and then I would have just chickened out of it and I couldn't do that. Things had gone too far and this relationship-if you could even call it that-was beyond a joke now. I knew I couldn't have stayed with him.

"Look, I've been doing some thinking whilst you were away." I admitted sheepishly, keeping my eyes downwards.

That was the truth in a way because I had been thinking about him and this relationship and I had been realising that this wasn't what I wanted.

I heard him huff sourly in front of me but I didn't dare to look back up at him again because I knew it wouldn't help me speak honestly.

"What sort of thinking?" He spat angrily from in front of me, sounding really angry at the way I had put it.

I swallowed down my fear, knowing that I had to get on with this but also knowing that I still had to be honest with him too, no matter how angry he got with me.

"About you and me."

He sighed heavily in response.

"Riiiight and let me guess, you've been speaking to Rob too, no doubt."

As soon as he mentioned Rob's name, I could tell he was trying to pass off the blame to him and I knew that I couldn't have that. Because although I had talked to Rob about us the morning after Jamie had hit me, it definitely wasn't his fault.

I looked back up at Jamie, forcing myself to be brave and stare at him in the eye without being frightened.

"Before you could even try to pin the blame on Rob, it was nothing to do with him. Yes, I had been talking to Rob the morning after you left but I was the one who decided that this relationship is _over_."

As soon as I said the words out loud, I realised I had officially ended things properly with him without even thinking it through about what I was going to say. It had slipped out of my mouth and I knew that whatever I was going to say, he would probably still find a way to blame Rob about this.

His eyes widened a little bit in response at first, as though he couldn't have believed that I would have dumped him, despite the fowl way he had been treating me throughout the whole of our relationship.

"You don't mean that," he insisted, though he sounded as though he was trying to convince himself more than anything else.

But as soon as he had said that, he nodded in response as though me not meaning what I had just said made perfect sense to him.

"No…you're just angry." He insisted confidently now. "You're just upset with me because I left you the next morning…after what I did the night before."

I shook my head, because despite how much I might have hated him for what he had done for me that night, I couldn't let him believe that this was about that. It was partly, of course, but everybody could see that this wasn't a good relationship. It just wasn't healthy and we didn't belong together.

"No, look…it's not about that. Okay, so yeah, it is partly about what you did, but it's not just that. I just don't think we're right together." I insisted truthfully, because he had the right to know how I honestly felt.

He shook his head in response, about to say something and I knew that he was probably about to argue with me, so I continued onwards as quickly as possible, so that he couldn't disagree with me.

"You hitting me and you feeling as though you need to be violent towards me should be enough reason for us _both_ to realise that we're not right together. If you can do that to me then we're obviously not right together. I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty or anything like that, please believe me when I say that. I just don't think we're right together."

I knew I was right about that.

How could we be right for each other when he kept turning violent against me? A relationship shouldn't be about that.

It should be about making each other happy and being with someone because you _want_ to be with them. I knew I didn't want to be with Jamie anymore because he didn't treat me with any respect.

It wasn't right to keep lying to him about that and pretending that everything was fine, when it wasn't.

He shook his head though, adamant that that wasn't right.

"No…no, you were fine with us before I left. You're just saying that because you spoke to Rob after I left. He's obviously brainwashed you against me-"

"Are you even listening to yourself?" I snapped angrily, as soon as he had come out with the crap that Rob could have brainwashed me. As if he could have ever done that! If anyone had brainwashed me, it had been Jamie.

He seemed surprised by my angry outburst but I didn't care and I wasn't planning to stop there either.

Why the hell should I have done when he was clearly not listening to a word that I said and was getting it all wrong in the process?

"I don't see how you could even think that Rob had somehow brainwashed me considering that he hadn't once mentioned about me breaking up with you after you got back when I talked to him. In actual fact, I spoke to the girls after, telling them what you had been doing to me-"

"What the hell, you told them that I was hitting you?" He asked me in shock, sounding disgusted by the idea.

I huffed in response, thinking his reaction stupid giving what he had done to me the night before to make me tell the girls.

"Of course I did, how could I not? You left me _so_ badly bruised Jamie! Maybe I should have taken pictures to prove how badly you had beaten me to make you see just how crazy you were that night because obviously you need reminding." I spat angrily, not bothering to hold back on just how badly he had beat me that night.

What was the point when we were being honest with each other now? I wasn't frightened of him now and I certainly wasn't going to be frightened to tell Jamie the truth, whether it hurt him or not.

"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't realise." He confessed, his face instantly turning guilty as soon as he realised how bad it was.

"Yeah well it's too late Jamie; I'm not putting up with it anymore. Because I know you'll keep making excuses for your behaviour and then you'll just end up doing it again."

He shook his head adamantly. "No listen, I won't, I promise-"

"Yes, _you_ will…you hate the fact that I spend any time with Rob and you desperately try and keep me away from him. But he's my friend and we're even meant to be doing interviews together for the movie and everything and I know that you're bound to get jealous and take it out on me again."

"No, but I won't, I swear-"

He tried to move forwards and closer to me but I raised my hands and stepped away, telling him that I didn't want to know.

I shook my head and looked down at the floor, adamant that I just didn't want this relationship anymore. It wasn't healthy nor was it right.

"I don't believe you Jamie and I'm sorry but I've made my mind up." I warned him adamantly, staring down at my hands as I fidgeted with them nervously whilst I talked.

I found it easier to talk with me staring at my hands because then I didn't have to look at him and see the disappointment in his face.

"Look, I even spoke to the girls and they agreed with me about this relationship. It isn't healthy and it isn't right and we aren't meant to be together-"

"It bloody makes sense now!" He snapped angrily, instantly making me jump and causing me to look back at him in shock, hoping to god that he wasn't just about to lose his temper, because it was hard enough doing this as it was.

He looked livid and as though he was trying to keep himself down, though he wasn't doing too much of a good job.

"Yeah, of course," he insisted, nodding his head angrily. "Your friends don't even like me, they never have. They've always preferred Rob over me which is why they were telling you to dump me-"

"Get over yourself Jamie!" I snapped, refusing to let him talk about my friends like that. He had absolutely no right because they had done _nothing_ to him, even after the way he treated me with such a lack of respect.

"They have absolutely _nothing_ against you…well, at least they didn't. Yeah, they were less than thrilled to find out about you hitting me because they're my _friends_ and they don't want me to be with someone like you. But up until that point, they hadn't said anything against you so trust me when I say that this decision was nothing to do with them forcing me into anything at all." I told him.

He rolled his eyes in response, looking as though none of what I had just said to him was important.

"Yes, but they always liked Rob more than-"

"Yeah and that's complete crap too! They gave you a chance right from the beginning and like I just said, they didn't say one bad thing about you until I told them about what you had been doing to me. So no, don't bother blaming them because it had absolutely nothing to do with them. I decided to dump _you_ and that was it; nobody else was involved and as far as I'm concerned I've made my decision and that's it. Now unless you have anything else to say to me, I want you to leave please."

I spelled it out for him completely, telling him exactly how I felt because I knew that whilst we were both being honest, there was no point holding back.

I was still a little frightened of him, of course I was; I believed that to be a natural reaction to him given that he had been hitting me.

I was frightened about what he might say in response to my honesty because I had told him in no uncertain times that I had wanted him to go and that I wasn't going to change my mind about our relationship being over either.

His eyes darkened a little in response and I couldn't help but shiver in response, due to my realisation about that look.

I already knew that he was angry because it was obvious from the way he was looking at me and as he began to walk forwards a little, I instantly looked around me in a panic, trying to think of something to do and somewhere to go.

"Look," I started, trying to sound as calm as possible as I pressed my back into the kitchen counter as I desperately hoped he wouldn't come any closer to me.

He looked so angry and I knew that I had to try and calm him down and not panic, because if I didn't then I was going to be the one to regret it.

"I know you're feeling angry now and you have every right to feel upset too because of this but listen-"

I was instantly cut off when he stepped forwards before I could escape from him. He grabbed hold of my wrist, pinning both wrists behind my back and pulling one of my wrist roughly and I literally wanted to scream in response, due to his painful it was.

I winched instead though and shut my eyes together tightly and tried to hold any sound in because of how painful it was.

"You see the thing is…I don't want to leave." He hissed angrily in my ear and his voice sent frightening shudders down my spine in response. "And if you think that I'm just going to walk out of here and do what you want just because you've had your say then I'm afraid to say you're sadly wrong."

I gasped quietly in pain as he continued to twist my wrist, causing a much stronger burning pain through me in response.

"All you've done is use me to get what you want whilst your precious Rob has been away and…" he trailed off, twisting my wrist even more and making me yelp quietly a little in response to how much it hurt.

"As soon as he gets back, it seems that you thought oh well, I'm finished with Jamie now, so I'll just dump him."

I sighed heavily in response, because it wasn't like that at all.

"I already told you why I dumped you. Because we're not right together and because of what you've been _doing_ to me." I spelled it out for him again.

"Oh yeah, because Rob is just _so_ perfect and it's not like he's never done anything wrong, such as, oh I don't know…maybe leaving you in the beginning?"

I huffed sourly in response, given how pathetic that was to bring up because it was as though he was taking points.

I couldn't help but shout out a little in response as he twisted my wrist again in response to me huffing, but I refused to let him speak badly about Rob when he had done nothing wrong and he wasn't involved in this at all.

"Yeah well maybe that's true, but at least he would _never_ drop to your disgusting level and hit me." I snapped angrily through gritted teeth, hoping to god that he would just let me go and get out.

I almost sighed in relief as his hands slipped from my wrists but that quickly turned into a gasp of shock as he pushed me backwards, making me turn around to face him and his hand flying out, slapping me in the face.

I paused for a moment, frozen to the spot as I tried to take that in.

I felt as though I could hardly breathe because I literally felt as though I had been kicked in the stomach and I could feel myself welling up more and more to the fact that he had actually just done that.

The sting of his hand was proof of that and my hand instantly went to my face, feeling my stinging, hot cheek with my palm.

Within a second of him hitting me, I heard shuffling from near the kitchen door and I forced my eyes upwards, keeping my hand to my face as I looked to see what was going on.

I almost fell backwards into the door when I saw Rob racing into the kitchen because I felt so relieved to see him again.

I hadn't even heard the living room door open because I had been in such a shock about him actually hitting me in the face as he had never done that before.

I peered nosily at Rob, noticing that he looked absolutely livid.

My stomach instantly dropped the moment that he stepped through the kitchen door and grabbed hold of Jamie by the front of his shirt, shoving him back against the kitchen counter behind him.

I gasped in response, barely aware I was moving until I'd gotten over to his side, watching him in shock.

"Does it make you feel like a big man, huh? Hitting a woman in the face; make you feel good." His voice was considerably calm considering how angry he looked.

"Well let me tell you something," he snapped, continuing with whatever he needed to say before Jamie could get the chance. "You are the one who will _never_ be going near her again because I'll be making sure of that. Whether or not we go on tour together to promote this film or do interviews, you won't be getting to touch her _ever_ again." He snapped in aggravation.

As soon as he was finished, he shoved him towards the kitchen door before Jamie could say or do anything and it was then that I noticed Kellan was already there, shoving him out into the hallway.

I gasped as I struggled to get my breath back, suddenly feeling as though I could have cried for years.

I had been so worried when Rob had stepped into the kitchen and had moved over towards Jamie that he might have gotten hurt. The last thing I wanted was Rob getting hurt due to my stupidity and I had been so frightened that he might have done.

Rob turned towards slowly me then, looking so uncertain and confused about what to say to me now. He could obviously see how upset I was because as soon as he had, he pulled me straight into the safety of his arms and I instantly relented, letting his arms fall around me.

As soon as they had, I started crying as I tried to get over the shock of everything that had happened and I instantly buried my head into his left shoulder, trying to hide my face.

I literally felt as though I could have cried forever because there were so many emotions running through me in that moment.

There was relief because both Rob and I were okay after everything that just happened and relief that I had finally dumped Jamie too. I was also sad too, because I felt as though I had dragged everyone into it and I was shocked too, because I had never expected any of that to have happened.

The shock quickly dissolved into embarrassment though and although I didn't want to pull away from Rob, I felt so embarrassed about crying in his arms. I started to pull away and I felt his arms drop around me quickly as he let me go so that I could take a moment to get my head around everything.

I ducked my head and quickly wiped my eyes before nervously looking back up at Rob, who was still watching me closely.

His arms were pressed around the sides of my waist again lightly and I couldn't help but shudder in response to the closeness of him to me, only just about realising that.

"Thank you…for what you said." I spoke quietly, because I knew I owed him a lot of gratitude for stepping in when he did before anything else could have happened.

He nodded; his face still gravely serious as he continued to watch me closely.

"I meant what I said; I don't care on whether or not we have to do any promotional work because either way, he's not going anywhere near you. I won't let him hurt you again." He promised me sincerely and I could really tell that he meant that.

I was just about to thank him again for that when his hand came up from my waist, slowly at first…brushing against the top of my right cheekbone as he wiped away the tears that had fallen softly.

I shivered instantly in response, unable to help myself.

His skin against mine felt so good and so right and as I stared back at him, it had never felt more right to kiss him in that moment.

But as soon as I'd even had that thought, Kellan headed back into the kitchen, obviously finished throwing Jamie out.

"The scum's gone." He confirmed, grinning at me.

I instantly breathed a sigh of relief in response, because knowing that Jamie had definitely gone and that he wasn't coming back to frighten either me or Rob was definitely a weight off of my shoulder.

"Thank you Kellan…for what you did." I smiled appreciatively, knowing that if it wasn't for him, then we probably wouldn't have even been able to get Jamie out in the first place because he was quite strong too.

He shrugged in response. "I'm just glad you're okay." He insisted.


	28. Massaging Oils

**Here's the next chapter of the story! :) Hope you like!**

* * *

**Massaging Oils**

After everything that happened with Jamie, I was wary about how I could develop mine and Rob's relationship any further. I knew I definitely wanted to be with him and I sensed that Rob was feeling the same way in the way he looked at me and just the way he was around me too compared to when I had been with Jamie.

But I had a feeling both of us were a little unsure on what to do or say next because he seemed to be just as unsure as me.

Nevertheless he was still coming round the house just as much as he always did to spend time with everyone, despite things feeling a little…well, awkward between us now.

I didn't know what to do as I wasn't exactly very any good with this sort of thing so I just stayed quiet, not knowing what to do for the best to get past this awkward stage between us.

There was also another reason why I was hesitant to take things any further.

The main reason was because I felt just as self-conscious as I had when I first met him and a part of me still didn't completely believe that he wanted me despite how I often noticed him looking at me.

And the second reason was that we were good as friends and we seemed to get along really well…and a part of me also wondered if that would still be the same if we were to take things further…

The good thing about the situation was that we wouldn't have to be doing a promotional tour for the movie until a good couple of months and although I knew I had university to get back to, I was certain that they would understand, given that it was work commitments.

Of course it also meant that we didn't have to give interviews about the movie until then too, which meant we wouldn't have to spend any time with Jamie until then too, which I was more than glad about.

Slowly, my time in Los Angeles was starting to draw out too and within a week of things being awkward between me and Rob, Rachael felt the need to say something before I left America without sorting it out.

Rob had come over on his own, which I had felt was a bit strange, given that normally he came over with Jackson and Kellan to see Tasha and Rachael.

I had answered the door to find him there alone, instantly stealing my breath the moment I set my eyes on him.

He looked absolutely stunning and no matter how many times I saw him, I just couldn't seem to get my head around just how good looking he was.

His hair still looked short and looked more styled compared to how it normally looked when he'd been running his hands through it.

His eyes were watching me closely, looking a little wary now that I had come to the door to greet him.

I couldn't help but stare at him confused, wondering why he was staring at me as though he was surprised I would answer the door.

"Just you today?" I asked him confused.

He nodded in response, an adorably shy smile playing at his lips as he shoved his hands into the front of his jean pockets, looking as though he was trying to stop himself from playing with his hair.

"I've been invited round…by Rachael." He confessed sheepishly, making me feel even more confused.

"Err…okaaaay then. Well, whatever reason she invited you round here for she hasn't told me so…I guess you should come in." I replied uncertainly, wondering what the hell was going on as I opened the front door open for him to come in.

He accepted my offer and I quickly shut the door behind him before turning back to watch him walk further into the hallway, checking him out the whole time.

He had such a cute bum and his back looked so rugged and muscular that I just couldn't seem to take my eyes off of him.

I followed him into the kitchen, checking him out the whole time that I did, but I instantly dropped my gaze when he turned round to look at me unexpectedly, quickly noticing that I was staring at him.

He chuckled a little in response, instantly making me feel even more embarrassed, knowing he had caught me.

"Like something you see?" He teased; his tone playful as he flirted with me like he had been a few times the last couple of weeks.

I bit down on my bottom lip but it still didn't stop me from grinning at the floor in response, like some idiot.

"I like everything I see." I teased back, feeling my cheeks turn a bright shade of red as I flirted back with him.

"Well you don't look so bad yourself today."

I huffed sourly in response, looking up from the floor to see him watching me closely, a cheeky grin on his face.

We laughed together in response, realising that he wasn't taking the piss about that.

"I was going to say…that's not much of a compliment, especially not after what I just said." I laughed, making him chuckle again in response.

I looked round in time to see that Rachael had just gotten downstairs and as soon as she turned into the hallway downstairs, she grinned at us happily, looking very pleased with herself.

I snickered in response, watching her walk into the kitchen proudly, practically skipping as she walked.

"Well I'm glad I got you two together down here." She admitted just as proudly, a massive grin still on her face.

I turned back to look at Rob to see her watching with just as much as confusion as I was, telling me that he was just as lost about what she was up to as much as I was.

"Okay Rach…I think you've officially lost us both on why exactly you wanted us both here in the first place, so why don't you just tell us what's going on?"

She nodded, looking just as pleased with that idea.

"Okay…well, I know things have been awkward a little bit between you two lately…" she started.

I chanced a look back at Rob who had quickly dropped his gaze to the kitchen floor, his forehead creased together. I could tell he was embarrassed to hear that and I couldn't deny that I felt the same way.

"So, I managed to get Tasha out of the way; she's gone round to Kellan's for the day."

I nodded in response, because that instantly cleared up my curiosity about why Kellan wasn't here.

"I'm also going round Jackson's to spend the day with him…which gives you plenty of time together." She insisted, grinning at us both as though she had just cleared up everything that needed clearing up, even though she had just made me more confused…

"I don't understand…plenty of time to do what?" I asked he confused.

As soon as I said that, she turned to look at me before her eyes widened in response when she realised that I was being serious when I asked her that.

She groaned in response, rolling her eyes at me as though I was being completely stupid by asking that.

"Oh dear lord, what the hell do you think?" She asked in shock, watching me with wide, shocked eyes.

As soon as she said that, I felt my eyes widen a little in response and I instantly dropped my gaze to the floor, feeling my cheeks turn a bright red.

"Obviously…you can do what you want. I just thought a day to yourselves without any of us in the way would be more…well, it would give you time to yourselves. I also thought of the perfect way to stop any awkwardness and also get rid of any tension too."

I groaned sadly in response, instantly wondering what the hell she was getting at.

"And what's that Rachael?" I asked her warily, hoping she wouldn't say something dirty or whatever.

I looked back up at her in time to see her smiling at both of us.

"Well, I brought some massaging oil the other day." She confessed proudly, instantly making me groan in embarrassment and flush badly in response to that.

Oh my god, she couldn't actually be serious!

"Listen!" She warned. "I thought it would be nice for the two of you to relax properly without worrying about anyone being here. I also know that massaging relieves so much tension in your body too and I thought it would be romantic and…well, it would ease you into things slowly too as you'll both get comfortable with each other by being in your underwear too-"

"Rachael, _what the hell_?" I asked her in shock, knowing that my face must have been bright red with hearing what she was saying.

As if I could just calmly get naked in front of Rob, even if it was just to our underwear. Even the thought of it made me feel physically sick, due to how awkward I felt about my body.

It was even worse given that I had seen Rob in just his jeans too.

He had a body to die for now, which made him even more out of my league than before he started to make such an effort with his body and his appearance.

"What?" She asked me confused, turning to look at me. "Well you can't exactly massage each other without getting your clothes off. And I'm not even being dirty when I talk about massaging either for once. I just thought this would be a perfect way to get yourself more comfortable with each other."

"Hmm…she might have a point for once."

I gasped in shock as I turned to look across at Rob, who was still stood opposite me. He didn't look as flustered as me, which made me feel even more embarrassed in response.

I looked back to Rachael to see her grinning at him in response.

"Thank you!"

"Well…it probably would make things more comfortable and it would be nice knowing it's just…well, you and me for once."

I looked back to see Rob staring back at me, a shy smile on his face.

I couldn't help but smile back in response, because despite how embarrassing the thought was, there was no doubt in my mind that it was nice knowing that there would just be me and him all day.

And to be able to touch his body…would just be amazing.

"Yeah…I guess you're right." I forced myself to agree.

He smiled in response, looking a little too pleased with himself about that and my stomach instantly clenched deeply in response.

It seemed that the thought of me, being able to touch his body, to feel his skin against mine was a lot more powerful than my silly insecurities, which I had once thought impossible.

"Perfect!" Rachael enthused from beside the kitchen door, instantly making me and Rob smile at each other again in response.

"And even better, I have something lovely to put on Charlie too so you can't keep your eyes off of her."

As soon as she said that, I looked back at her in shock, to see that she was obviously being serious.

"Rach…what is wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked her confused, though as I looked down at myself, I had already answered my own question.

I was wearing a plain grey tee shirt and jeans and I knew that she would class as what I'm wearing as boring and plain.

She shrugged. "Well to be fair, there isn't really anything wrong with what you're wearing. Not when you think that your clothes will be on the floor anyway. Well, just your top at first." She added quickly, smiling innocently.

I flushed awkwardly in response, knowing she was probably right about that second bit...well; she might be when it came to him touching me, massaging my skin…

"However…I do have something to show you." She insisted with a sly smile, looking back at me and looking a little nervous now.

I frowned in response but nodded anyway, knowing that I probably wouldn't have ever won against Rachael anyway, because she was very stubborn when it came down to it.

"Okay, fine…" I sighed heavily, before turning back to look at Rob. I smiled as soon as I looked at him, unable to stop myself from smiling.

I followed Rachael out into the hallway and followed her up stairs without commenting, wondering what it was that she just had to show me exactly.

I followed her into her room, to see an underwear set sat out on the edge of her bed and instantly making me groan in response.

She couldn't actually be serious!

She ignored me anyway and held the underwear set up on me.

"Look, it really doesn't look that bad and it's a lovely set." She insisted confidently, trying to make me comfortable enough to wear it.

It was a navy blue coloured balconette-style bra in a beautiful soft satin material. There was a lace feature next to the bow in the middle of the bra and there had suspender briefs in lace to match them too.

I frowned down wearingly at them, wondering if I should really wear something like this, given that it might just make things even more awkward if I was wearing something like this in front of him.

"I really don't think I can wear this Rachael."

She rolled her eyes in response as though I was being overdramatic about that.

"Sure you can…look, it's really not that bad and I know the knickers are a bit small but he's not going to see it anyway as you'll have your jeans on."

I frowned in response, uncertain about that.

"It's really not that bad, Charlie. Just go and try it on, at least." She insisted sweetly, obviously wanting me to.

I sighed heavily, but knowing that I had little choice, I reluctantly agreed with her to go and try it on. It wasn't as though I had anything to lose by doing that at the very least.

I headed into the bathroom, trying hard not to hyperventilate at the thought of being undressed in front of Rob.

It was something I could only dream of but my insecurities were holding me back as usual. I always knew they would, given how strongly I believed that I wasn't good enough and the fear had become even stronger since being with Rob.

As soon as I had tried the bra and brief set on, I stood in front of a rectangle mirror stood proudly on my bathroom wall.

I stood completely still, with my arms pressed to my sides.

My dark eyes were slightly wide and my long, dark brown hair was brushed over to my right shoulder, the ends of my curls flowing past the satin bra I had on.

I had to admit that the navy colour of the bra really made my ivory skin look a lot more refined and almost flawless.

I couldn't see what the briefs looked like in the mirror, but I could see that my body really didn't look that bad at all.

I suddenly felt as though I could do this, as though I had the confidence to go through with this now.

I knew I had to just keep thinking about Rob and the fact that it wouldn't just be me who was going to be in their underwear. Rob would be shirtless too and the very thought of seeing his body properly and the ability to be able to touch him freely, to feel his skin underneath my fingertips made me shiver in sheer delight.

"How's is going in there?" Rachael asked me from outside my bathroom door, sounding a little worried.

I didn't reply and decided to try to be brave instead. I opened the bathroom door to see Rachael stood directly outside of it.

As soon as she saw me, her eyes widened in response.

I pursed my lips, trying not to smile due to her reaction because I was definitely hoping for the same reaction from Rob and…well, a whole lot more if I was being honest with myself.

"Wow…and there you were moaning about having to wear it. You look bloody amazing!" Rachael insisted, huffing sourly at me for not wanting to wear the outfit she had picked out for me.

I didn't take much notice of her insult as I was too busy smiling over her compliment about how I looked.

"Do you think…well, do you think Rob would like it?" I stuttered awkwardly, looking back down at myself and then back up to Rachael.

She raised her eyebrow in response, seeming shocked by my lack of certainty on whether he would like it or not.

"Darling, I think we have a problem." She insisted, instantly making me panic.

"What…why?"

She huffed. "Because I have a feeling that when he sees you in this bra, massaging you will be the last thing on his mind."

She looked back up at me and grinned in response, seeing my cheeks instantly turn a dark shade of red at the very thought of that.

She left me alone to cool down a little and get dressed back into my jeans and tee shirt and I really did appreciate that.

I still smelt pretty nice because I had showered that morning and had used some of my lovely shower products. I wanted to smell extra great though because I knew that I would be getting closer to Rob and I wanted him to think that himself.

I sprayed some of my Ghost perfume on my neck and wrists just as Rachael was heading back into her bedroom.

"Hmm…I do love that perfume." She insisted with a smile. "So…I'm going to head off in a minute, which leaves you and Rob alone in the house for the whole of today." She grinned happily.

She showed me a huge white bottle which I saw was the massaging oil and instantly, my stomach clenched up nervously and my cheeks started to flush a bright red.

"Okay, this is available for all skin types and will be effective on both yours and his skins. The fragrance is lush, it's a mix of Ylang-Ylang, Clary Sage and Pimento Berry with Benzoin to promote and a release of inhibitions….I thought it would be appropriate."

I groaned in response to her words, feeling _so_ embarrassed about the fact that she needed to spell out to me exactly what it would do to get the idea across what she thought we should be doing today.

"Oh and it can be used on back and front too, so…well, it should keep you busy-"

"Rachael, please!" I groaned, quickly interrupting her trying to explain to me how to use a bottle of massaging oil

I didn't think I was that stupid and the thought of massaging Rob's body, of being able to have my hands on his skin and sweep lower just…well, it was too much for me to imagine right now.

"Okay, okay, sweetie," she finally agreed sweetly, still holding the bottle. "I'll put it down on your bed so that when you and Rob go in there, it'll be all prepared for you." She smiled.

I flashed her a confused look. "All prepared?"

She nodded. "Yeah…just don't think about sneaking in there until you go and get Rob from downstairs."

I sighed heavily in response, knowing she wouldn't be happy if I went against that and nodded, following her out of the bedroom and to the staircase to head downstairs and see Rob.

As soon as we got downstairs, I was starting to feel really panicked and it was only making me feel worse when I kept imagining how hot Rob's body was. I remembered from when we were working together on set and he had to take his top off and I couldn't help but wonder if he would find me as attractive when I took my top off.

As soon as my eyes found Rob though, still stood at the side of the kitchen, with his hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans, I couldn't help but smile.

He looked so lovely, stood with his back against the front of the kitchen counter, looking deep in thought and just as nervous as me, I might add.

As soon as he saw us head into the kitchen, he smiled shyly, instantly sending my heartbeat a little crazy in response.

"Everything…okay?" He asked uncertainly, sounding as though he wasn't sure on what to ask. God, he was so cute…

Rachael rolled her eyes in response and nodded.

"Yeah, all is fine," She insisted. "I managed to persuade Charlie into…well, you'll see. She looks very pretty though."

I couldn't help but feel so nervous as soon as Rob turned his eyes to me and let his eyes move downwards, as though he would somehow see what I had on from underneath my clothes.

I chewed on my bottom lip, hoping to god that he would like what she had put me in. It was all for him after all.

"Anyway, I shall leave you to it. See you two later." She grinned at us before turning swiftly on her heel and heading out the front door quickly.

I rolled my eyes due to how quickly she had escaped the house.

It was as though she truly believed that as soon as she was out of the door, we would be on each other.

Though…then again, it was Rob and I had a feeling that if I was more confident then…well, yeah, my hands would always be on him…

I turned back uncertainly to look at Rob again, who looked just as unsure as me.

"Urm…I guess we should go and see what she's done to my bedroom." I shrugged awkwardly, not wanting to pressure him into anything but undeniably tempted at the idea of starting things as soon as possible.

It would certainly get any awkwardness out of the way.

Rob flashed me a confused look, obviously not realising that Rachael had given my bedroom a makeover.

"I have a feeling Rachael's…well, given my bedroom a Rachael-Makeover." I confessed, grinning at him despite how nervous I was starting to feel.

"Ah…now it makes sense." Rob joked, making me smile again in response. "Well…I guess we should then." He agreed.

I nodded uncertainly in response, knowing that that meant that we would have to head upstairs…together.

I tried not to overthink things as I headed out into the hallway, hearing Rob follow from behind me.

Hearing his feet just behind me made my stomach churn nervously, because it was the thought of knowing that we would actually be alone in my bedroom, with all the time in the world to do whatever we wanted…

Goodness, maybe Rachael was right about clothes being on the floor and all that.

All I could think about when I said it like that was how amazing it would be to have some alone time with me and Rob to do whatever we wanted to…

My heart was racing loudly within my chest the closer we got to my bedroom and as soon as I headed into the upstairs hallway, I automatically began to think that maybe this idea wasn't such a great one.

My heart was definitely agreeing about that one.

I pulled open my bedroom door, letting it open widely so that I could take a look into my bedroom and I couldn't help but gasp a little in response.

There were candles spread out across the whole of the bedroom, on nightstands and my dressing table and on cabinets too. It smelt really lovely in here too, like cinnamon and strawberry mixed into one amazing scent and I instantly breathed it in as I headed into the doorway of my bedroom.

"Wow…she's made it look amazing." Rob commented behind me, sounding impressed with Rachael's idea.

She had made it look so romantic and sweet and I realised that I really did have a lot to thank Rachael about, given how amazing she had made this bedroom look.

It was sweet how much she had done just for me so that I was happy, because she obviously realised Rob made me happy.

"Yeah, she certainly has." I commented just as impressed.

I stepped further into the room, barely hearing Rob shutting the bedroom door behind him as I looked down to the foot of my bed, where the massaging oil sat on its own, reminding me why we were here.

My stomach instantly lurched in response, turning over nervously as I forced myself to look back over at Rob, who was still stood beside the bedroom door, watching me warily.

"Urm…Rachael left the oil…on the bed." I gasped out awkwardly, not too sure on what to do or say now that we were alone together.

He nodded in response, his forehead creasing a little in concentration and embarrassment as he ran his hands through the top of his hair and pulled on the strands as he walked forwards and further into the room a little.

I couldn't help but just…stare at him as he did, realising how lucky I was for him to actually be here.

It was definitely a dream come true.

"So…" he started, sounding as though he wasn't sure what to say for the best.

I smiled sheepishly at him in response, because I could understand exactly how he felt, given how nervous I was.

I forced myself to sit down on my bed, beside where the massaging oil was sat and stared back at Rob, who was still watching me uncertainly.

I picked the bottle up hesitantly, trying to look as brave as possible as I did and smiled nervously at Rob again.

"I don't mind undressing first…if it makes you feel any better." I insisted sweetly, knowing that I had to at least try and be more confident around him.

I had a feeling that being as awkward as I was really wasn't helping me appear very attractive to him.

He seemed a little surprised but he nodded anyway, coming to stand beside the bed and taking the bottle from me.

"Urm…if you're sure?" He asked uncertainly, his forehead still creased. "We erm…we don't have to do this you know…if you don't want to, I mean-"

"No, no, I want to." I insisted, trying to sound as confident as possible.

The truth was, I had a feeling that Rachael might have been right about this being an ice-breaker between us.

He smiled in response, before he leaned one leg onto the edge of the bed, looking at me the whole time as though I would somehow tell him I'd changed my mind.

I had no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't though because I still wanted the opportunity to be able to get closer to Rob as I really did think this would help us. And…because I really wanted to check him out.

I pushed myself up to the top of the bed and took in a deep breathe, desperately trying to tell me to get over these stupid insecurities.

"Right…I guess you'll get to see the horror Rachael's forced me to wear." I teased, using jokes to try and put us both at ease.

I was relieved when he smiled back, looking amused by my joke and my attempt to break the nervous tension in the room.

I slid my hands from underneath my top and pulled, pushing my top over my head quickly so that I couldn't stop myself from doing it.

As soon as my top was off, I sat up straight, more to look better than anything else and threw it to the floor carelessly before forcing myself to look back at Rob from underneath my eyelashes, curious about his reaction.

His eyebrows were raised slightly and his eyes were definitely not on my face anymore.

I could feel my face flushing a bright red in response to his eyes travelling downwards, taking in the bra that Rachael had forced me into and lower.

"Well…I definitely wouldn't call what Rachael's forced you into…a horror." He confessed sweetly, his voice a little huskier than normal.

Goosebumps instantly formed on my arms at the sound of his voice and I couldn't hold back a shiver of delight on seeing his eyes turn a little darker the more that he stared at what I was wearing.

He noticed me shiver and his mouth turned up a little into a smirk, instantly making my heart beat a little faster.

I couldn't help but smile a little in response, feeling a little like a goddess because of the way he was staring at me and I felt triumphant as I stared down at the bed, glad that he obviously found me attractive.

"Well, I have to give it to Rachael. She definitely comes up with some good ideas." I joked playfully.

"Yeah, that's true." Rob agreed with me easily. "So…are you sure you're okay with me massaging you first? It's completely up to you." He insisted sweetly, obviously making sure that I didn't feel too awkward about this.

I nodded in response, because the truth was, I wanted his hands to touch me just as much as I wanted to be able to have my hands all over him.

"Yeah…urm…" I trailed off, suddenly feeling very embarrassed as I realised that I probably needed his help in undoing my bra from the back as I couldn't get to it.

It wasn't so bad I guess because it wasn't as though I had to take it off completely. I would be lying on my stomach, so I could easily leave the straps on but I knew I would have to undo the back of the bra so that he could get to my back properly.

"I might need your help…to undo the back, I mean." I quickly added, so that he knew what I was talking about.

I could feel my cheeks flushing badly again in response, giving away how embarrassed I was feeling at just the idea of it.

"Oh yeah, of course." Rob insisted quickly, not sounding as flustered as I still was. Knowing this, only made me feel even more flustered, given how much cooler he was compared to silly me.

I looked back up at him to see him smiling in reassurance at me and even though I still felt flustered, I couldn't deny that it made me feel a little better.

I pushed my hair to one side like it was this morning and turned around slowly, swallowing the hard, nervous lump that had pushed its way into my throat.

I heard him move properly onto the bed and shift forwards and closer to me and instantly my stomach tightened from nerves and from desire too at the thought of Rob sat so close to me now.

As soon as his warm, smooth fingers brushed against my back, I literally had to hold back a moan in response.

His hand felt so good, too good against my skin and I couldn't help but wonder what the hell I was ever going to be like if things got more…well, intimate between us.

I doubted I would ever have been able to be intimate with anyone in the house as I would have never been able to control myself, not with Rob's amazing hands on me…in me…

I quickly pulled away from his hands before he could undo my bra, realising I couldn't do this. There was no way I would have been able to control myself with his hands on me because all it would do is awaken more feelings for him and force me to imagine a number of fantasies in my head…

"Is…something wrong?" Rob asked me confused from behind me and I noticed a tiny bit of disappointment in his voice.

I desperately tried to tell myself to stop being stupid because I knew that it would only make him feel as though I was being completely stupid and the thing was…I knew I was. I desperately wanted to prove that I could do this but how could I when I couldn't stop thinking about things that I just really shouldn't be thinking about?

"I just…needed a minute." I gasped out, feeling a bit more controlled than before.

I knew I had to go through with this as he would just think I was being silly and the truth was, I knew he was right.

"I'm fine now." I insisted, trying desperately to believe it myself as I pushed myself backwards a little, instantly pressing into Rob's knees from behind me.

I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to think of anything but him and how much I wanted to rip his clothes off.

"You sure?" Rob asked me worriedly from behind me as he remained perfectly still. "We really don't have to do this if-"

"No honestly, I'm fine." I insisted quickly, before he could say anything more.

He didn't say anything more and instead, pressed his fingers back to my skin as he undid my bra and I bit down on my bottom lip as hard as I possibly could, desperately trying not to let my head fall back into his shoulder or something like that.

I was relieved when his hands finally moved away from my skin, despite how much I liked his skin on mine because I really did like it far too much and it meant that I could breathe a little easier too.

He moved to the side of my bed so that I was able to lay myself down on the bed and I had to admit that I did appreciate that.

Rob pressed himself on top of me carefully and despite how much he was holding himself up to make it less awkward and so that he wasn't sat too heavily on me, I desperately fought the urge to groan in response to the closeness of his body to mine. All this just felt far too good to be true.

"You smell lovely today, by the way." Rob commented casually as he undid the massaging oil bottle and I fought the urge to hide my face in the pillow in front of me, because I really liked the sound of that.

"Oh erm...thank you. It's my Ghost perfume." I confirmed sheepishly.

"Hmm, no wonder." Rob replied just as casually, though he sounded lost in thought about something or other.

As soon as his hands pressed to each side of my waist and began to slide upwards, I had to hide my face into my pillow for a few moments. His hands were like sweet magic, to say the very least.

His hands were strong, firm but smooth and pleasurable as he pressed his hands against my skin, massaging my body with the right sort of touch.

And god…there was no doubt in my mind how much I wanted them hands to always be on me, forever more.

"Good?" Rob asked me casually, though I couldn't help but notice that his voice was a little husky.

I quickly realised that I wasn't the only one enjoying this…

"Uh hum…" I practically moaned back in response and as soon as I had said that, my cheeks flared up with a hot red in embarrassment, realising that I sounded even more turned on than him.

I heard his sweet chuckle from behind me due to just how much I was enjoying this and I instantly felt the need to explain myself.

"It's just…well, you have quite talented hands." I teased playfully, though it only made my face flush an even darker red in response. "They just…well, they feel really good…on my skin." I gasped out.

"Oh really?" He asked back flirtily, clearly teasing me.

I flushed an even brighter red in response, though he clearly wasn't done.

"Well whilst we're admitting things…This feels pretty good for me too. You have really soft skin, it's nice…being able to touch you like this." He was completely silent after he admitted that, but I couldn't help but smile in response, because I knew exactly how he felt.

"I just mean-"

"No honestly, it's fine." I interrupted him quickly before he could get himself flustered about what he had said because I really did understood how he felt. "I completely understand how you feel. It was a great idea for Rachael to come up with because…well, there's no pressure there and I think she was right when she said it would help get us more comfortable around each other." I agreed with him.

"Oh well and the fact that it feels really good too." I added, making him chuckle in response about that.

"Yeah well that too." He agreed easily.

I never wanted this moment to stop because his hands literally felt amazing on my skin but I knew that it was only fair that it did, given that it would be his turn.

There was no denying how amazing I felt when he was finished though and I felt a lot better than before too. And things didn't feel half as awkward as they had been when we had started this.

I groaned happily as I put my top back on, making Rob laugh beside me in response.

"Feeling good?" He teased, smirking at me in response.

That smirk literally made my heart lurch in response and I could only nod in response, knowing there was no point lying, given how obvious my reaction towards him was.

"Yeah, really good, thank you."

He laughed again in response, running his hand through the top of his hair. "Why, thank you?" He teased.

I shrugged, grinning back at him.

"Well you have a pair of pretty wonderful hands there."

He chuckled again; looking just as embarrassed as I was for admitting it liked that and pulled on his hair again.

"Well I'm sure your hands are just as wonderful." He commented lightly, making me laugh in response.

"Well, you can be the judge of that." I teased playfully.

He began to undo his shirt then and my breath instantly hitched a little in response, feeling apprehensive at the thought of Rob…in my bedroom…with his shirt off.

He smiled a little in response, looking just as nervous as I was when I was taking off my tee shirt. I just smiled back as confidently as I could, hoping that it would put him at ease, because I knew how awful it was to feel uncomfortable and nervous.

As soon as he had taken his shirt off, he dropped it to the floor carefully, though I wasn't taking any notice of that.

I was staring straight at him, taking in the strong lines of his torso with just as much fascination as I would have if it was my first real time seeing his body. Because in some ways, it felt as though it was.

I knew that Kellan probably had more of a muscular body than him, mainly because Tasha had made me look at way too many pictures of him in the past, but…I always thought it was too much. I always thought it didn't suit him at all, where-as Rob…he was fit, in every sense of the word but he still looked healthy too.

He still definitely had a body to die for and there was no denying that I still thought his body was a lot better.

I couldn't help but just stare too, as I took in the thin trail of hair lining the middle of his chest and slipping downwards and into his jeans.

The muscular lines of his hips met each other in the middle, slipping into the top of his jeans too and I couldn't help but stare at the top of his jeans, taking in how amazing his body was.

I was one hell of a lucky girl.

He smirked at me in response to me staring, instantly making me flush in embarrassment and stare back down at my hands, which had the massaging oil in them.

"You don't need to be embarrassed, you know." I heard Rob insist from in front of me, instantly getting my attention again. "I like…well, I like knowing you were staring at me." He confessed with a sheepish smile and I couldn't help but smile back a little in response, feeling a bit more relieved that he was okay with it.

I nodded in response, prepared to explain. "I guess it just…well; it feels a little weird for me still. Not because of whom you are but just…well because of how much I guess I find myself wanting to stare…I guess." I confessed embarrassedly.

He smiled in response, looking sheepish himself now too.

"When you had your top off, I felt the same. I'll admit I was staring at you as much as you are now." He confessed, sounding completely unbothered by his truthful admission.

I flushed embarrassedly in response; staring down at my hands and feeling my cheeks turn a bright red.

"Really?" I asked him quietly, still expecting him to tell me no.

"Yeah, of course," he insisted, sounding confused as to why I wouldn't believe him. "You're a beautiful girl, Charlie…a lovely girl. And well…I'd be lying if I said I didn't think you had a nice body."

My cheeks turned even hotter, flaring up with an even brighter red than before and I tried to get over the shock at hearing him say that.

Who would have thought…Rob Pattinson telling me that he thought I had a good body? I'd have never thought I would have seen the day.

"Do you…I mean, do you really think that?" I asked in shock, desperately wanting to believe he really felt like that about me.

"Well I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." He insisted confidently, making me smile a little in response. "Why do you find it so difficult to believe things I say? I hope it's not the same ridiculous idea you had at the Teen Choice Awards…about it being me?" He grumbled.

I shook my head but then quickly realised that it was partly because of that really.

I shrugged, looking back up at him to see him watching me closely, a confused expression on his face.

"Well okay, it is partly because of who you are and before you complain, it's because…well…I'm a little plain, to be honest! And you….well, I always thought you were hilarious which you are and smart and quirky."

He rolled his eyes, unimpressed with my reasons.

"I always thought you were special, Charlie." He insisted, a certain sparkle in his eyes as he said that.

I grinned in response before I could help myself and looked back down at my hands, chewing on my bottom lip to stop myself from keep grinning like an idiot.

"I mean you almost fainted when you met me! I thought you were a bit crazy in all honesty." He admitted, chuckling as he confessed that.

I laughed a little in response, because I couldn't help but find that funny.

"And the more I got to know you, the more I got to like you. I found you really quirky and different and I like that."

That reminded me of something and I instantly looked back at him to see his reaction to my next question.

"I reminded you of _her_, didn't I? Kristen, I mean?" I spelled it out for him.

His smile instantly dropped from his face. "At first…yeah, you did a little. And I'll admit, I was a bit wrapped up in her and trying to get over her. But then the more I got to know you, the more I realised…well that I actually liked you for _you_ not because you reminded me of her because you're completely different people."

I nodded in response, because he was right about that.

We were completely different people but I could understand why he felt like that in the beginning because I had to admit that I knew we looked similar and I probably dressed a little like her too, even if I didn't like to admit that.

I looked back up at him sheepishly, realising that he still had his top off. He looked amazing, even when he was sat on my bed, looking relaxed and chilled now that we had started talking properly.

I couldn't believe it had taken me a few moments to even realise he had his top off, given how normally I noticed these sorts of things straight away. Especially because he looked like a Greek god sat across my bed, casually staring across at me, a smile sweeping across his lips as he caught me staring…again.

"Is my body really that amazing?" He teased playfully, making me giggle helplessly in response to that.

Because the truth is, yeah, it damn was. But then that hadn't been the reason why I had been staring.

I had been staring because I had only just realised that he hadn't had his turn yet.

"Well yes, it really is, but that wasn't actually why I was staring this time, I swear. I literally just remembered you still had your shirt off and that…you haven't had your turn yet." I reminded him.

He nodded before shrugging.

"Meh, I'm not too bothered-"

"Oh, but I am." I quickly interrupted him. "I'd had my back massage and fair is fair…plus, I'm getting the opportunity to touch you." I smirked playfully at him.

He smirked back, playing along with me.

"Well you can always do that if you really want to, you know."

I rolled my eyes in response to his flirting, feeling my cheeks turning a hot shade of pink. I replied as casually as possible, which was difficult given how many ideas I had in my head about that.

"Now, now, cheeky," I teased, making him laugh in response.

He got himself ready to lie on the bed and I moved out of the way whilst he did, so that he could lay down straight.

As soon as he had, I placed each leg on either side of him, straddling his bum whilst I continued checking him out.

"Nice bum by the way," I teased playfully, though the truth was, I had always wanted to say that out-loud.

He chuckled in response, sounding happy that I had noticed his bum. "Thank you; I have to say I noticed you had a very nice bum too, very….sexy." He teased.

I giggled helplessly in response, instantly charmed by his sweet compliments. How could I not have been when he said it so sweetly?

"Well thank you."

"I have to admit I was checking out your boobs too, if I'm being completely honest." He grinned sheepishly.

I huffed in response, pretending to be insulted, though I definitely wasn't. I was completely delighted to hear him say that.

"And did you like what you see?" I asked him as casually as possible, trying not to grin like an utter idiot again.

"What did you say to me earlier on today? You like everything you see? Yeah, I'd definitely use those words." He grinned. "I told you before Charlie, I think you have a really great body…I hope you don't mind me asking but do you work out much?"

I snorted. "Nope, why?"

"You just look as though you do, you're very lucky." He huffed sourly.

"Aww, does it take a lot of effort to keep a body like yours?" I asked him playfully, leaning over to grab the massaging oil from the side as I asked him that.

"It really does…and even then, it's nowhere near like a six pack. I don't know Kellan manages to keep his body the way it is, it's insane." He complained.

"Oh shut up!" I rolled my eyes in response as I squirted a little of the oil into my hands. "You have a great body, Rob. I imagine that it probably does take a lot of work too but you still look really good."

"Meh, well as long as you think so, I don't care." He joked, making me giggle again.

I didn't know where to start so I set the massaging bottle back onto the bed beside where we were laid out and pressed my hands to his lower back first, just above his jeans and worked my hands upwards slowly, massaging the oil in.

"Wow," I heard Rob breathe in from in front of me, making me grin a little. He groaned softly before quickly ducking his head into a pillow, sounding a little embarrassed.

I laughed in response, glad he was obviously enjoying it as much as he was.

"Does it really feel that good?" I asked him in surprise, though I couldn't deny that being able to touch him like this made me feel really good too. His skin felt soft and knowing how good it was making him feel, only made me feel even better.

"Oh god yes," he confessed sheepishly, fighting back another groan as I changed direction of my hands, massaging the oil in clockwise now, rather than just in a straight line.

"Well you don't have to feel embarrassed by you enjoying it, you know." I insisted. "In all honesty…well, it makes me feel good knowing that I have that effect on you." I confessed sheepishly.

"It's so embarrassing for me though…I always think that I sound really loud." He confessed, chuckling awkwardly.

I giggled at the inappropriate thought lining my head. "There's nothing wrong with that; just shows that you're obviously really enjoying yourself." I teased playfully, not talking about massaging at all now.

He laughed in response.

"You're not talking about massaging my back now, are you?"

"What would ever give you that idea? I'm completely innocent!" I insisted as innocently as possible, making him snicker.

"Yeah, right!" He replied unbelievingly. "What do they always say about innocent people? That they're always the ones to watch. I bet you're actually really naughty when it comes to things like that."

"Things like that?"

"Sex, basically."

"Oh!" I replied, in too much shock to say anything else in response. I wasn't expecting him to just come out with it like that and now that he had, I was flushing like mad. My cheeks were bright red with embarrassment and I felt only too glad that he had his back turned to me so that he couldn't see my face.

I massaged the top of his shoulders gently, moving my hands clockwise as I continued to rub in the massaging oil.

Rob groaned again in response, sounding as though he was definitely enjoying himself and though I tried very hard, I couldn't help but think inappropriate thoughts.

"God…and you say I have a pair of pretty wonderful hands."

I giggled. "Feeling good?"

"God yeah…I have to say your hands feel _so_ good on my skin. You obviously know what you're doing." He added quickly, teasing me.

I raised my eyebrows. "Still talking about the back massage?" I jokingly repeated his question from earlier.

He laughed. "Absolutely not." He admitted without a care in the world, before he groaned in sheer delight as I continued rubbing in the oil.

I couldn't help but giggle in response, hoping I didn't sound too silly. I wasn't giggling because I was embarrassed, because for once, I didn't feel that awkward about talking like this with Rob. I was giggling because I found it funny that we were both talking about the same thing. Obviously we were both thinking about the same thing.

I had to admit that I was enjoying giving Rob a back massage because it meant I could touch him like this and knowing that I had that much of an effect on Rob made me feel really good too because I hadn't realised that I would have.

I was starting to repeat my movements several times, despite the fact that I had completely massaged his back, because the truth was, I was enjoying myself too much to want to stop. I liked being able to touch him like this but I realised it must have been obvious that I was just making it linger to Rob.

He didn't say anything though, at least not for a long while.

I was a little surprised when he suddenly began to shift his weight from underneath me and I couldn't help but gasp a little bit in shock as he turned himself over so that he was now laid out on his back rather than his front.

I was now sat on his front and as he smirked up at me playfully, I was feeling a little awkward and embarrassed and I felt as though I had nowhere to hide my bright red cheeks.

I was now sat on the exact right place and his jeans were so tight that…well, I could feel _everything_.

"Do you always blush?" He asked me casually, staring at me closely as I ducked my head quickly, feeling even more embarrassed about the fact that he had picked that up.

"Err…yeah, pretty much," I confessed sheepishly, clearing my throat awkwardly and preparing myself to tell him the reason why I was flushing so badly now for though. "But…well there's a reason why I'm blushing so badly too. Where I'm sat…well, I can pretty much…feel everything." I admitted sheepishly, peeking up at him from underneath my eyelashes to see his expression.

He was flushing a little bit too now.

"Oh…sorry, I didn't realise." He confessed sheepishly.

"No, no, it's fine…" I quickly insisted, though I stopped talking as soon as he sat himself up properly, so that I could get off him.

I held both my hands up, preparing to stop him from sitting up completely and I couldn't help but freeze from the shock as my hands brushed lightly against the front of his chest as he sat upwards.

I looked back up at Rob shyly, who was watching me closely, looking as though he wasn't sure what to do either.

It was funny to think that just a touch like this could affect the both of us as much as it obviously did.

I pursed my lips together, only just realising that I hadn't completely answered Rob's question from earlier. Where he asked why I was so uncertain on why he would be interested in me for. I had replied with one reason…but not the other.

I kept my hands on his chest because it felt too good to contemplate removing my hands when I had desperately wanted to touch him like this for so long.

"There was another reason…to why I find it so hard to believe you would like me." I confessed sheepishly, keeping my eyes on the top of his chest as my fingers made a thin trail from shoulder to shoulder whilst I talked.

I couldn't help but shiver along with him in response to my touch.

"Yes, there was," he agreed in a delightful rough voice, sending more shivers down my spine. "What was it?" He asked me, sounding curious.

"I don't trust people." I answered simply, peering back up at him from underneath my eyelashes to see his reaction whilst I talked. "Every relationship I've been in, people have promised they wouldn't let me down and that they would always be around. My first boyfriend promised me he would be my friend forever whatever happened between us because he cared too much for me not to turn his back on me…but he did just that. So many people have let me down…which is why when someone tells me that they like me now, I've heard it all before and I can't help but think that the same thing will happen to me again."

He nodded, still watching me closely.

"Well, I understand how you feel." He promised me, letting his hand rest on the small of my back.

The warmth of his hand sent lovely chills down my spine in response and even though my top, I could feel his warm, strong hands for myself.

"I guess…I'll just have to prove to you that I have no intention of letting you down." He shrugged. "And I know you're just going to think I'm saying that again but…when I really like someone like I really like you, I fight to make things work. Goodness knows how many times I tried to save mine and Kristen's relationship." He confessed, huffing.

I smiled in response, because whether I was just being stupid or not, I believed that.

"But I'm not just making promises to make it sound good. I genuinely would like a relationship with you."

The way he said that made my heart skip a beat and I couldn't help but smile in response because I liked the sound of that too much.

I continued to stroke his skin, appreciating the way he shivered in delight because of my touch. It made me feel all goddess-like.

"Yeah…I would like that a lot too." I admitted sheepishly, keeping my eyes locked on the firm muscles of his chest whilst I talked.

His fingers brushed against the bottom of my chin, sending my heartbeat racing once more. He tilted my head upwards so that I was staring back up at his face, which was just mere inches from mine.

The closeness made me shiver in anticipation and I inevitably lost myself in the depths of his stunning green eyes as he took in every single part of my face.

"Well it seems we're on the same page then." He whispered in the same gloriously rough voice, a smile playing on his lips.

I shivered again in response, closing my eyes lightly as he started to lean in and losing myself in the sheer intoxication of Rob.

My hands went straight to the back of his glorious hair the moment our mouths touched, losing themselves in the soft strands of his hair.

His mouth was like heaven on mine, moving urgently against my own as my fingers tightened within his hair, as I tried to control my breathing as much as possible, not wanting to move away from him for a long time.

I pushed my body upwards slightly so that I was able to move, pushing my body into his chest so that there was literally no space between us.

He moaned softly in response, causing delighted shivers to run up my spine and his hand pressed to my back harder, pushing me to him more firmly.

Our mouths were turning more urgent, more desperate and I could only follow onwards, caught up in everything that belonged to Rob.

I allowed my tongue to dart out, brushing lightly against his top lip and making him groan again in response.

The noise alone made me push further onwards wanting nothing more than to constantly please him like this.

I softly sucked a little bit, biting down just a bit to see his reaction. I couldn't help but sigh happily as I brought out another moan of delight from him.

His own tongue pushed forwards slightly, brushing against mine the slightest bit and making me moan back in response now.

It was unreal how much of an effect he had on me.

But all too soon, he pulled away from me to catch his breath, though he kept our foreheads locked together as he did, which I was glad about. I just wanted to be close to him, anyway I could.

I couldn't seem to manage to keep my eyes closed, deciding to rather taking in his beautiful features instead. He had never looked so beautiful rather than now, when he was caught up in the moment as much as I was. He looked simply ravishing; especially with how much I had messed up his gorgeous hair.

"Tell me something," he begged me desperately, though I was certain I would never refuse him anything whether or not he asked me to. "Do I affect you as much as you seem to affect me?" He asked me in surprise, his eyes still lightly closed as he tried to maintain his coolness once again.

I nodded. "Oh, I would say a whole lot more." I disagreed, just as breathless as him.

He shrugged in response to that. "Well, I don't know about that…but I'm glad to hear that anyway."

Before I could say another word, his mouth found mine again, interrupting any thought I could have ever had in that moment.

* * *

**So did you like it? Finally, they sorted it out! Yay. :D**


End file.
